Wish I had someone to curl up on the couch with to watch some television and just talk. Tonight on the tube I got caught up on my reality tv addiction. On HGTV Design Star I really think Kim pulled out the final task by far. Her design looked the most welcoming and also seemed to have a much better layout. I loved her colors and her design touches. On Big Brother, Dick and Danielle were nominated for eviction and I couldn't be happier. I really am rooting for Jameka.

When Day Is Done
by. Edgar A. Guest

When day is done and the night slips down,
And I've turned my back on the busy town,
And come once more to the welcome gate
Where the roses nod and the children wait,
I tell myself as I see them smile
That life is good and its tasks worth while.

When day is done and I've come once more
To my quiet street and the friendly door,
Where the Mother reigns and the children play
And the kettle sings in the old-time way,
I throw my coat on a near-by chair
And say farewell to my pack of care.

When day is done, all the hurt and strife
And the selfishness and the greed of life,
Are left behind in the busy town;
I've ceased to worry about renown
Or gold or fame, and I'm just a dad,
Content to be with his girl and lad.

Whatever the day has brought of care,
Here love and laughter are mine to share,
Here I can claim what the rich desire--
Rest and peace by a ruddy fire,
The welcome words which the loved ones speak
And the soft caress of a baby's cheek.

When day is done and I reach my gate,
I come to a realm where there is no hate,
For here, whatever my worth may be,
Are those who cling to their faith in me;
And with love on guard at my humble door,
I have all that the world has struggled for.



Biography of Edgar A. Guest from Wikipedia: Edgar Albert Guest (August 20, 1881, Birmingham, England – August 5, 1959, Detroit, Michigan) (aka Eddie Guest) was a prolific American poet who was popular in the first half of the 20th century and became known as the People’s Poet.

From England, Guest came with his family to the United States in 1891. After he began at the Detroit Free Press as a copy boy and then a reporter, his first poem appeared December 11, 1898. He became a naturalized citizen in 1902. For 40 years, Guest was widely read throughout North America, and his sentimental, optimistic poems were in the same vein as the light verse of Nick Kenny, who wrote syndicated columns during the same decades.

From his first published work in the Detroit Free Press until his death in 1959, Guest penned some 11,000 poems which were syndicated in some 300 newspapers and collected in more than 20 books, including A Heap o' Livin' (1916) and Just Folks (1917). Guest was made Poet Laureate of Michigan, the only poet to have been awarded the title. His popularity led to a weekly Detroit radio show which he hosted from 1931 until 1942, followed by a 1951 NBC television series, A Guest in Your Home.

When Guest died in 1959, he was buried in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery. His work still occasionally appears in periodicals such as Reader's Digest, and some favorites, such as "Myself" and "Thanksgiving," are still studied today. Guest received a mention in Lemony Snicket's The Grim Grotto, though not in a particularly favorable manner. His great-niece Judith Guest is a successful novelist who wrote Ordinary People.

One of my passions over the past year has been collecting antique photos. I have quite a few and can't wait to get them online. I am waiting to get a scanner up and running and will post all over them soon. My goal is to keep the history alive and tell as many stories as possible. I already have several hundred...

Until that time, I found some cool ones on ebay that I would love to have...


The seller describes this as a early boot and shoe store. From the photo you will see there is a sign that says: 'Roedel, Braun & Co.'. The location is possibly Pennsylvania but is not confirmed.



This one is from Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I love group photos and photos that show all of their clothing.

A lot of things have changed since I last wrote.

I have my babies home with me now... It was a bitter sweet moment for me. I know how hard it must have been for Jason to let them go! Jason suffered from stroke at the beginning of this year and this has slowed him down considerably. I have faith that he will get stronger and get back to a full recovery. He is also on the transplant list to receive a new kidney and pancreas. With his age and the fact that he is rather healthy otherwise, I hope that he will receive this soon.



I live at home with my family again. I love my family and this is why I am here. I need to provide some support to them. My love for them is deep and I will do what I can to help them succeed. Right now we are home schooling the four remaining kids. Nathan graduated last year. Gosh, I can't believe that sometimes. The home schooling situation has been a little stressful and challenging at times but we are going to continue to try and make it work. I want to get things up and running and get my mom involved in my new business. Another challenge is that we need to find a new house. Especially before winter. We are currently living in our dilapidated old family home from my childhood.

I have been terrible at keeping up with my journal. Let me try again.

The most notable thing that happened this month was my trip to Savannah, Georgia with Jason. The city was simply amazing in every way. Unfortunately, I had no camera for this trip so I have only the images left in my mind. The streets were a canopy of trees with beautiful moss hanging down, and the houses and buildings that outlined these streets were amazing. My favorite parts of the streets were their squares with their large trees, flowers, fountains, statues, and park benches.

Here are some other hightlights of my visit:

1.) Tybee Island (about 20 minutes away). A wonderful beach and my first time seeing the ocean.

2.) The Savannah Historic Ghost Tour. A guide gave us a walking tour of parts of downtown Savannah around the Colonial Park Cemetery. We learned the whole city is practically on top of a grave.

3.) The Lady & Sons. Had lunch at the the restaurant made famous by Paula Dean from the Food Network. Very nice. I especially enjoyed the barbeque pulled pork and the collard greens.

4.) River Street. This famous street was full of music, food, and activity.


My next trip is going to be New York City in November and I will be heading to Los Angeles, California in January. I do enjoy traveling and hope to see as much of the world as possible before I depart.

This past weekend was nice. I spent part of the day with my mom helping her with some issues that have been pressing. Saturday night, I went to Axis where they were having a benefit. I stayed for the show later in the Pumps cabaret. It was Samantha Rollins, Anisa Love, Vee Love, and Fancy Punasti.

Sunday we went and saw two movies: 1.) Snakes on a Plane 2.) Little Miss Sunshine

Snakes on a Plane was suspenseful and I was jumping at almost every scene, mainly because I very afraid of snakes. It wasn't a bad movie but there were some corny scenes in it. Little Miss Sunshine was an okay movie. I wouldn't rave about it but it was worth a look.

Had lunch at Bob Evans and finally had their breakfast bake (Not worth the wait). Had dinner at Applebee's. Had the layered enchilada, zesty mexican salad, and key lime pie. It was okay.

Most of my thoughts are with my mom and my brothers and sisters right now. I think of them often and hope things will go well for them. My heart is also with Jason right now. I pray that God will take care of him!

Work is going really well. I am working on many special projects and each of them are helping me grow professionally.

Went to Columbus this past weekend. Saw three movies with my best friend Gary:

1.) The Lady in the Water 2.) You, Me, and Dupree 3.) Monster House

Perhaps, I was just having a bad weekend, but they were all three disappointments. I had higher hopes for at least two of them, but they let me down. I found myself bored. The Lady in the Water had the most ridiculous scene in it. What the heck?

Went to two restaurants with Gary: 1.) Don Pablos 2.) Union Station Video Cafe

Had the four course dinner for 10.99! The service was somewhat slow, but the guy was at least hot! The trip to Union Station was on Sunday and was good because I got to see Chris, Beast, James, and Patricia. Patricia was our waitress so the trip was all worth it. I had the Turkey Reuben and tater tots with a side of ranch.

Anyways, it is late and I should be in bed. Sweet Dreams!

Yesterday was my first day as the Customer Service Training Coordinator. I did accomplish a lot on my first day addressing a couple of major procedures that the department as a whole needed to be refreshed with. I was able to sit with our four newest associates and get a bit of a feel for where they were at. I created, distributed, and held our first weekly meeting for the new year and I think it restored a lot of our associates who need that inspiration to rally our team together. I have a lot of ideas and I really look forward to making a real difference with our team members.

I still have a few obsessions lately. One of these has been 'flickring' on www.flickr.com, but I am going keep this little habit as it does inspire my writing and I just love to see all of the beautiful pictures that people share. I especially like it when they put a little story with their photo.

I thought of an award winning club layout while I was driving home last night. So if anybody reads this and wants to discuss some business propositions, please come and see me. *smiles*

The last couple of days have been great. I spent new years eve here in Leesburg with my mom, Sherry and the kids. It was nice to just relax and be there with the family. We had some party food like a cheesball & crackers, little sausages, a meat tray, and soda. We watched the movie 'Slingblade' which was written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton. He also starred in this sad but amazing film.

On New Years day I went to Columbus where my good friend Gary and I went shopping a bit and we had dinner at Applebee's. We also saw the movie 'Brokeback Mountain', which I thought was wonderfully acted. The film set in Wyoming in the 1960's was the story of two cowboys who fall in love with each other while working on Brokeback Mountain. I thought the film was a worthy see because I felt it gave a true depiction of what people felt like during that time. While the movie was slow all of the characters were developed well. You really feel for everyone involved especially since the the two guys go on to have families of their own. On the opposition, my friend Gary didn't like it all. While he said the acting was good, he felt it was entirely too slow and he felt that gay people shouldn't just like it because it is gay. I do have agree with him on that last note.

Later that night there was 'Church' at Havana where he was performing (as Samantha Rollins). There was also Anisa Love and 6 male dancers. It was my first time seeing the beautiful Alexander and my goodness, what a butt! I really wish that I had my camera.

Today we woke up late (around noon), went shopping just a bit and then we went to Renoir exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art. The whole exhibit was truly beautiful and I became quite inspired to explore my own creative expressions.



On the Terrace ~ Pierre-Auguste Renoir ~ 1881

After the museum we went and seen two films at the theatre. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' was a wonderful film. The whole picture was just really well acted and the imagery on the screen was just stunning. I haven't read the book though and I have been told that this could change my opinion on the film itself. Still, I think it is one that is worth seeing.

The second film that we saw was 'Wolf Creek' and it was definitely one that I could have done without. It is set in Australia and was supposedly based on a true story. It reminded me of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' only it was far worse and very gory. I guess I just don't like these types of movies any more. I haven't seen any of 'Saw' movies and I have no desire to see the new one called 'Hostel' coming to theatres soon. Call me a pussy if you shall, but I love my sappy dramas.

It is now the beginning of a new year. 2006. I guess it is time for the routine ambitions that we have each year. This year I will strive to really live and not contain myself in a box. I will keep in touch with people that I love and care about. I hope to write cherished words to those that are in my heart. By the end of the next year, I want to have over 1,000 hand written notes in the hands of people that mean something to me. I really want people to know how much that I appreciate them. In 2005 I got my old job back with Technicolor, and this coming year I want to do amazing things for this company that I truly believe in. I am also on a plan. Within some time, I hope to be relocating to Atlanta, Georgia and continue a rejuvenation of my life. One of my greatest loves in life is there and I miss him so much. I have enjoyed my almost daily chats with Jason and I look forward to seeing him soon. I get excited thinking about him and the babies (our dogs), who I miss very much. I see so many opportunities down there and I know that in my heart that God will lead me in the right direction.

I have also began writing and I hope to be on the verge of ending my first novel by the first of 2007. I have really enjoyed doing this and I have a passion for it and of course dreams of doing well with it. In the end of 2005 I made some sacrifices and I will continue to weed out my distractions. I must be focused on my goals and my future as well as those goals of the special people in my life. For my mom and my siblings, I want them to become settled in 2006 so that we have the family that I know is there. In 2005, I moved down here to help them and maybe inspire them, and I won't allow my intentions be one ones of worthless talk. I will seek action in both myself and them.

I want to always be there for my friends. I want to help them achieve their goals for the future and I want them to share their life with me. I hope to create many adventure and memories in 2006.

Nick

My grandma called me to let me know that my cousin Freddy died in a car accident today. He was a passenger in the car and was with his girlfriend. A friend was driving and ran a red light running into another car. All three of them were killed and the driver of the other car is in critical condition. What a terrible situation! I didn't know my cousin that well as he always seemed to be a bit seperated from the family. It had probably been a couple of years since I last saw him. My heart goes out to his dad and sister who he leaves behind. His mom died in a house fire when he was a baby so this is such a terribly sad time for the family. It just goes to show you that life is so short and to never take each day for granted.

On Monday, Roy G. Biv had their holiday party for its employees (Axis, Union Station, Havana, and Millennium). Everyone was given a $100 gift card to drink on, so as one can guess, I got rather tanked as the night ensued. I took my camera that evening and rememeber snapping a few photos in the beginning of the night. What I didn't expect was finding out that I had taken 400 plus photos altogether (431 to be exact). I certainly don't remember a portion of the evening, but the photos seem to help me piece it together and some of them are quite interesting. I will post a gallery up soon! **smiles**

On Tuesday I went to the Carriage Town Movie Plex for 50 cent movie night. Gary, Jeremy, Jason and I saw 'Christmas with the Kranks'! I didn't know if I was going to like it in the very beginning, but it turned out to be a cute fun movie. Not a favorite film though.

Tonight (Wednesday), I had my meeting with Craig and Al where we discussed my website project with Craig's company and future project with Al. Jason called me at the bank today to let me know he got his job with the Hyatt! Wahoo! That releases a lot of stress from me! Maybe I can actually catch some bills up now!

My shout out for the moment is to Miss Jennie Keplar! Where the heck were you on Monday? I missed ya to pieces..... and Mark was so disapointed that he couldn't crack any Havana stories! :* **smiles**

This picture is of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church which is the Victorian Village here in Columbus, Ohio.
( Check out the rest of the photos )

This picture is of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church which is here in Columbus off of Roxbury Road.
( Check out the rest of the photos )

It snowed last night while I was working at Axis ( columbusnightlife.com ). So when we all came piling out of the club last night we were graced with yet another blanket of snow. There was no ice this time around so I was welcome to the beautiful display of nature. The photo below was taken on the bush outside of my town home. I am going out to take more photos this afternoon.



( 1 More Photo )

I am aggrivated, frustrated, and for some reason I am in positive spirits. My checking account is overdrawn, but I have my health, friends and family! I know that I can dig myself out of the hole. For one thing, the hole is not that deep and I see much prosperity when I get out of it! My roommate has a job interview tomorrow so I am hopeful that this works out so that I at least have help with half of my rent and utilities again! **looks hopeful**

There are several things I need to start doing to accomplish my goals. Here are some of them:

1.) Stay in contact with friends and family. This is the 20th Century and it is really not that difficult to send a short e-mail out to friends just to see how they are or find out the new things going on in their lives. ...and for that matter is not difficult to write a nice letter or card to mail out. It only cost 37 cents and the reward is huge. This has always been my ultimate goal - I am determined to stay connected with the people in my life.

2.) Expand QueerMagnet.com. I am already doing just that, but I will continue to add new content. More profiles, features on nightlife spots, and lots of interviews will be on the agenda. I really enjoy doing this and it is allowing me to shine a spotlight on some fabulous people as well as make some great friends.

3.) Find a cause and support it. I support various organizations throughout a year by donating, doing walks, or promoting their activities. This year I want to find a cause and champion it.

4.) Write letters to our politicians. It may not seem that it really matters, but our voice combined with the voices of others really can make an impact on the decisions that are made in Washington or even in your local community offices.

5.) Go to the gym. Start tanning. ...and use lots of lots of lotion. I have a gym membership that I pay for. Guess I should start using it. Besides I want to continue looking good! **smiles**

6.) Game Nights. Tuesday nights are 50 cent movie night and I want to start a game night to share with friends. These afterall are the times of lives and we should be enjoying them by creating laughter and memories.

7.) Photography. I want to have my camera with me at all times and a supply of batteries in case I go too crazy. There is a guy who is my inspiration on LiveJournal called ruralrob who captures the most amazing digital captures. You name it and he has probably taken a picture of it (Scenic Views, Buildings, People, Etc.) I want to capture the world and my community through photos. I also think I like this so much because it is a way to preserve our history!

Well I have enjoyed writing these, but I have been interupted multiple times and now it is time to go. I will perhaps write some more later, unless however I am actually doing some of the projects mentioned above instead of just making goals to accomplish them. **grins**

ciao

Nick

Champion footballer Zinedine Zidane was chosen as the most popular Frenchman in a newspaper survey, despite his decision last year to leave the national side.(AFP/File)

Broadway and television actress Bea Arthur performs during 'A Celebration of Cy Coleman' at the Majestic theatre in New York, Monday, Jan. 10, 2005. Coleman, composer of Broadway musicals ('Sweet Charity,' 'City of Angels') and pop songs ('The Best Is Yet to Come'). died Nov. 18,2004. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

...first of all Happy New Year!!!

I had a wonderful holiday with friends and family these past couple of weeks. I spent Christmas at my moms house. As most of you all know, she lives out in the country, and with the snow and ice storm that swept in I was truly in the midst of a winter wonderland. My roomate was borrowing my car and dropped me off at my moms. When I arrived I discovered she had no electric, no phone, no vehicle, and we were pretty much stranded for a while. We have an old dug well, so to retrieve water we had to tie a rope to a pitcher and drop it 15 feet down into the well to get any water. The wood stove was fired up though and the house was warm. It was like living as a pioneer. A very memorable Christmas. I got to see all 5 of my brothers and sisters and that was very special too. I love my family dearly!



Crazy things have been happening at the bank lately. We had two power outages recently. One was related to the ice storm that we had. We all had to go up the street to work at other location for our bank. The other power outage resulted because of a wide load headed to Ohio State University struck power lines in its route on High Street. The power lines fell to the street struck some cars and set three of them on fire. Talk about exciting! No one was hurt in that incident. One of the victims of the car fire was actually in her Yoga class at the time. Looks like she might want to go back again! Then today........ a car ran into our bank. Yep a car ran straight into the bank. It was elderly customer who got a bit excited and was apparently in a hurry. There were a ton of people inside and everyone thought a bomb went off. There were shouts and gasps echoing throughout our small banking center. Fun. Fun. Fun. The lady in the car was okay and of course very apologetic. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

...well my new year was spent at Axis. We had a very nice crowd especiall after midnight and the club was open til 4:00 a.m. That part kinda stank for those of us who had to work and especially clean up the place. PIGS, is all I can say! Someone took the liberty of busting one of our porcelain toilets. What idiots, lets go see someone trash your house and see what you say! Another funny recollection of the evening was the "wall of shame" as Mark our cop described it. He said all of the drunks were out there in various form and fashion on the wall to right before you enter the club. Some puking, some passed out in a ball, some in sprawled out over a parking barrier, ....i think you get the picture! Yeah, I am sure it was very cute!

Well thats it for now kids! I am working on three websites! Ugghhhhhhh........ Wish me luck!