Farewell 2007 Its been one!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for tuning in and sharing your blogs with me. I would also like to wish each of you a very Happy New Year. I for one am so pleased to be putting this past year behind me, and I am so looking forward to a much more productive and prosperous new year. I have mentioned before that I plan on relocating this year (2008), I have had it with Madison, don't get me wrong and I refuse to end this year complaining, but I have been one unhappy brotha lately. My friends and family are all so far away and there is no place in this town for brotha living an alternative/gay lifestyle. No Black bars which poses as a problem for me because there's no other gathering place for Gay Black men to meet and be themselves, there are some serious closet and mixed up shit going on in this town. Madison has great schools, colleges and the University, the first few years I lived here there were so few blacks students on campus that the few you saw appeared to be displaced, but now it has even a larger number of: Black graduate students, undergrads and even a few post graduate candidates (that makes me feel good), some of the higher positions in city government are held by Blacks however; the MMSD has so few Black teachers, but the ones that do teach in the school system are privy to generous incomes. The Gay Community is here it just has a very very small number of Black members, Madison is a wonderful city it is just not for me, probably because I am not a student( I graduated from a Texas College ) nor do I have a Master's Degree which would better qualify me for other jobs (a Masters Degree is the threshold to employment in Madison), my bachelors degree doesn't go far or hasn't taken me to far, I do have a half way decent income and benefits, housing is expensive although I have a nice small place in a great neighborhood. My friends often ask: "why move?" My response: " I need a better life, and I miss my own." Okay enough on that subject. I must say that I was so pleased to pick up a copy of Madison Times and there was a article about the Movie Dirty laundry however; no mention if the movie will make it here or not in the near future, but it was a well written article. Okay let me say good bye to 2007.

No More Snow

Joyus Holiday Season

Happy Holidays;

I hope that your holidays are filled with all your favorite foods, friends and family. Have a joyus Holiday Season.

Chet

99 and still behind

Here it is just a few days from the big holiday and as usual I am unprepared, but this year it doesn't really phase me that much. I just left the mall and I was really surprised to see so many shoppers dashing to do their last minute shopping, as a last minute shopper or procrastinator I know all too well if you snooze you loose. There is absolutely nothing left on the racks that if you shop the racks and I do, no tailor-made here or high end boutiques. I too was looking for that special gift for my friend that is all so special to me, just not special enough for me to shop early and get a nice gift for the friend, no I wait until just days before we exchange gifts and she always gives me a variety of nice small gifts and I have given her gift cards, or something I have thrown together at the last minute; does that make me a bad friend?

What is the business with re gifting? During a recent holiday gathering I noticed that a co-worker that had been given a particular gift item from our boss last year resurfaced this time as a gift to yet another co-worker. The gift has been bouncing around re gift after re gift, all my co worker needed to do was return it and select something he wanted instead, but oh no he decides to re gift.

Well once again we are allowed to call The Holiday Tree a Christmas Tree, the last couple of years there had been issues surrounding the title of the State Christmas/Holiday Tree. According to our politicians and some Madisonians the tree should be known and called a Holiday Tree so that no one is offended if they do not celebrate Christmas.

Well it is about nine days until the big holiday and if you are like me you probably haven't put a dent in your shopping as of yet, but maybe just a dent in your pocket buying gifts for people even after you swore that last year would be the last time you try and please everybody, but no you max out the credit card and drain yourself of all energy dealing with the shoppers, malls and not so jolly sales personnel unless of course they are working on commission then they are really accommodating

I have decided that I have got to start earlier and finish within a reasonable amount of time, this certainly would be a great deal easier if I had a greater income and a tad bit more time to handle the task of holiday shopping and entertaining. I certainly hope that next Christmas I will have made the move to maybe Atlanta. Yes I am entertaining the thought again. I just need change in my life and relocating would be a major part of that change. Should I put this on my list to Santa?

Enjoy your weekend

I found the perfect photo treasure: a picture of two very handsome friends enjoying a little horseplay and friendship...thats what weekends are for so enjoy. Holla at ya on Monday.

Holding on to Things

This day sucks and it sucks to be me! My day started out all wrong; damn more snow last night, and to make matters worst the city has taken it sweet time to clean streets and other common areas, and the sidewalks are from hell!

I spent nearly six minutes trying to cross the street to catch a bus for downtown and you would think that the traffic would yield a tad bit to allow pedestrians across the street, but no they ignore us and continue driving some at speeds that exceed the limit. Finally I get across the street only to discover that the bus is actually on time and I have to make a run for it, but not without cost... I am running full speed to catch the bus only to have my MP3 fly from my pocket and ear piece hanging in my ear. Another ninety dollars thrown away; of course I could have gotten off at the next stop to search for it, but whats the use damn thing probably broke, so I stood on the bus angry as hell.

Each year I loose something personal with the exception of my sanity which is bound to go next. Last year I lost a cellular phone running for the bus, year prior a pair of glasses I either have to stop running for the bus or leave a half hour earlier...you think?

Good to see you

Yet another cold day, but at least I do not feel so uneasy and uncomfortable instead just the opposite; my day starts as most other days... rise early eat something and have a cup of hot chocolate or orange juice, but today no orange juice because a brotha has not been able to get to the market nevertheless there are other beverages in the fridge. I have a couple of links and eggs prepare for work and out into the fidget weather I go, I take public transportation during the winter months it is much safer and cost less.

Today I ran into a young man that makes me proud to be a Madisonian; the young man's name is Bryan, you may have heard about him during the BET Hip Hop Dance Contest; well Bryan Mayberry and his team won. This young man lights up a room when he enters and he is one of the most handsome brothas in Madison. His attitude is grand yet welcoming, he seems to have a host off friends and each seem to like him and respect him. I admire him as well.

Seeing this brotha made my day and I am certain he had the same affect on all that he encountered today.

Gusty Wind and Snow

Okay I confess I can not and will not tolerate another winter in the Midwest, now of course I can not change the weather, but I can move my arse to a warmer cilmate... look out Atlanta! I have been anticipating this move for sometime and now I can honestly say "I am ready."

Madison has lots to offer with the exception of nice weather, and strong Black/African American Communities; to tell the truth the Alternative lifestyle is obsolete for many of the Blacks/African American Men and Woman that reside here, of course we are just a short drive to Milwaukee, Chicago or Minnesota, but there is nothing like having a place near home to socialize with folks you have much in common with. There are no Black Gay bars in Madison. The neighborhoods are split and the opporunity to meet a brotha that is willing to admit he's in the life, well that just doesn't happen much here in Madison.