Fish Out of Water

When I was asked to run the 4-mile leg of a 'teamed triathlon' this fall, I hesitated. I wasn't worried about the running part; I started running recreationally back in college. Now I do an average of two miles at the gym (to keep my lithe figure, of course). I was worried about the competitive aspect.

No one likes to lose, and I've never handled it well; I used to beat myself up if I did - I had to be the best! At everything! Ah.. the mental self-mutilation to compensate for being in the closet; I remember it well.

I've since come out of the closet and accepted the fact that there are people out there that are better at some things than I am; but why put myself in a position to lose if I can control it? Same reasoning applies to why I don't gamble.

In spite of my 'avoid competition' mentality, I decided this time to go against my fears and participate in the triathlon. After all, I'm about self improvement, mentally and physically (duh, I knew I went to the gym for some reason), and that's how I'm approaching it. (Plus, I was assured that my team was doing it recreationally.)

Friendly competition isn't so bad, and neither is losing, as long as you can turn it into positive motivation and forgive yourself for things that are out of your control.

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Today was a perfect day for a jog. I had a 4-mile training course planned out that involved the Williamsburg Bridge. Everything was fine until I started to ascend the the bridge. That's when I realized that the allergy pill I took right before wasn't such a good idea: I was having trouble breathing. As a result of the medication, my nose and mouth started to dry up causing my saliva and phlegm to congeal in the back of my throat and sinuses, blocking up my airways.

Determined, I focused on the Black Eye Peas babbling about their humps in my ears, breathed hard through my mouth, and made it to the other side without stopping. Victory!

I basked in the glow of my accomplishment, enjoying a light breeze, before turning back to face the bridge and realizing I was only at my halfway mark. And since my body was still trying to suffocate itself, I decided taking the train would be in my best interest.

Star Gazing

One great thing about my soon-to-be-ex job is that it's in Tribeca; and even better is that the Tribeca Film Festival ticket booth is only a block away. It starts today! There's definitely some films I want to catch. Did you get your tickets yet? You can buy them online¹, though some of the popular films and times have sold out of advanced tickets².

Being gay, I was 'naturally' drawn to all the movies with gay themes; it's almost compulsory, as if I had to watch them all to make up for the lack of homo-sex education taught in school (both officially and unofficially). So I'm seeing Fat Girls this Saturday. Some other movies were sold out, but I might take a chance at the door.

And being gay, I had the innate talent³ to run into and recognize (and then to quickly avert my eyes to avoid being labelled as the lunatic celebrity fan that I am) the two ugliest, hot actors⁴ in Hollywood, probably in town for the festivities: Mr. Bacon and Mr. Hawke.

Oh, Mr. De Niro. Come out, come out, wherever you are!

¹ It didn't matter to me, because I have to purchase the tickets at the box office to get my 'downtown residence discount' (not to rub it in or nothing).
² Don't fret! You may still be able to get Door Tickets by queueing 30 minutes before the show.
³ Or it could have been the fact I was walking around Tribeca during my lunch hour. Who knows?
⁴ You know what I mean, but I'll be damned if they're not f'ing talented!

Dear Nature

Dear Nature,

Wind, rain, and a 20 degree drop in temperature? Must you be so dramatic for my last week of work? Be kind and give me a nice, warm send off, okay? Love you like a fat kid loves cake!

Peace and chicken grease,
Jase

It's my last week at my current job. I still can't believe it. This place is like my second family. (Almost) everyone here is nice, kind, and a pleasure to work with; and I've become comfortable in the work situation (which almost always raises warning flags) - one of the reasons why I think the change will be good.

I start my new job next Monday. I know, it's no rest for the weary; so in the meantime, I find time to have fun at work!

Feast of Fools

So last Thursday I went to meet up with some guys that run a modest lil' podcast (out of Chicago) who came to New York City for a meet and greet, hosted at the Starlight Bar and Lounge. You might have heard of them, Feast of Fools, also known as the #1 gay podcast in all the world! Over 200 shows under their belt and counting!

Okay, so they're not so little, and not at all modest; but they are definitely hilarious! And in person, these guys are nothing but genuine, nice, warm, and welcoming - what the hell are they doing in New York City again?! (Just kidding, don't kick me off the island!) By the way, if you get a few drinks in them, they're even more entertaining.

So if this is the first time you've heard of them, put in those earbuds and download a show or two (why not start with one they did on their trip to New York City)? You can thank me later. In that nice, special way, of course.

My FOF Pics on Flickr (now with more pics!)

Brokeback Bunnies

No, I'm not talking about this parody. I saw this marvelous pair of chocolate bunnies at Jacques Torres' Chocolate Haven, inspired by Brokeback Mountain:

I'm still trying to figure out which one is Jack...

What Easter Means to Me

Hm... that's about it.