Flyover Tube 3.0

Happy New Year Everyone!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Good Tidings

Possibly the gayest thing ever posted except for porn of course. And I do mean gay in all senses of the word.

Much Ado...

Given the usual level of panic that was inspired by local news teams last night in their weather casts on the "biggest snow of the season," you might believe that Armageddon was planned for this morning.

If it was...thankfully none ensued. This is the view out my office window. As you can see we just have more typical Chicago winter weather. Meh!!!

The Boys Go to Camp

OK. This is not going to be a travel blog either. In fact, I am not sure what kind of blog it is going to become but I have another tale to spin of a recent trip.

Picture it...last August, hot steamy Chicago and Mr. Billy was in the mood to plan a vacation. Well, it must be said that Mr. Billy is ALWAYS in the mood to plan a vacation. Anyway, I had already planned to tag along on Mr. B's business trip to London in November so I wasn't really planning on anything else for myself but he wanted a holiday (since he had to work in London) someplace warm in December. What he found surprised me.

Maho Bay Camps in St. John is an eco-tourism resort. Campers live in tents...well tree forts actually, the bathrooms and cold water showers are up the path and wildlife gets up-close and personal. I thought it was awesome but couldn't really afford another vacation. Billy decided to go on his own. This had me concerned as Mr. B had never camped and usually doesn't go for any kind of vacation without room service and a spa. Nevertheless he excitedly booked his trip.

I was jealous. I really wanted to go and when his Mom and Sister agreed to watch the dogs, I screamed with joy like a little girl and was able to book as well with the money we saved.

So last week off we went and it was the trip of a lifetime.

We'd been to the Caribbean many times before and loved it and had been to St. John on day snorkle trips but this would be the first time it would be our home base. I hate of use such a gay word but it was FAB-U-LOUS! (At least i didn't say faboo...right?)

The island has only two small towns and is two-thirds national park. It also has one of the best beaches in the world...Trunk Bay.

Anyhow, after our flight from Chicago, we arrived in St. Thomas, rented our Jeep (tres butch...right? Or maybe tres gay!) and proceeded to the car ferry to St. John.

Mr. B didn't put the Jeep into the drink trying to drive onto the ferry and our true adventure had officially begun. After the 30 minute ferry ride we arrived in Cruz bay, St. John, a colorful little town filled with friendly locals, shops, restaurants, condos and bars...lots of bars. After working our way slowly through town we were off on our way to Maho...about a 20 minute drive. The most twisting, turning, hilly 20 minutes you can imagine. In fact the last mile or two of road looked it had been carpet bombed by a B-52...but more on that later. Just after dark we arrived at camp.

After seeing the tent, I looked to Mr. B for his expression...fortunately he smiled...and we were off to the bar and ready to start an incredible week long adventure.

No One in Scotland Can Escape From the Past.

So finally back to the rest of the UK vacation pics. On Monday I left Mr. Billy working in London and borded the East Coast Express for Edinburgh. Let me first say that the US could do with a little bit of the high speed rail thing. The trip was easy, 5 hours up and 5 back which left me about 6 hours to tour the home of the Scots. The only incident was provided by a perfectly lovely woman who's face appears in the dictionary next to the phrase "Ugly American." She started the day by berating me for sitting too near her (this was immediately resolved) and then proceeded to in a loud voice inquire..."so how much did you pay for your ticket anyway cuz I am on a tour?" She then went on to tell everyone on the train that the Scots are completely ignorant for pronouncing their Capital city's name Edinboro since in America everyone knows it's really Edinberg. DEELITEFUL!

But I digress...My family originally comes from Scotland and though on this trip there wasn't enough time to look up any second cousins, etc. it was fascinating to see the land of my people.

Getting off the train at Edinburgh Waverly station I was immediately in love with the city. The Scott memorial rises above the streets surrounding the city on the bank of the long dry river that separates the old town and the new town.

One of the highlights of the day was the tour of Edingurgh Castle.

And finally what I really came to see...the Holyrood Palace and the glorious ruins of Holyrood Abby which I saw during a beautiful (and early) Scottish sunset.

Exhausted, I made my way back to Waverly Station for the long ride back to London, vowing that ifI ran into my loud traveling companion on the way back that I would mount a Jacobite Uprising of my own...I did and I did!

To all, to each, a fair good night, and pleasing dreams and slumbers light.

Sir Walter Scott

Rage On!

At long last I am outraged. The ignorance and pettiness of the anti-gay marriage crowd has just pushed all my butons at once. I feel it daily just like everyone else and am truly conflicted by these emotions. But in spite of the urge we all have to throw a brick or kick some ass I really hope that we can channel this rage into something positive. We need to use the rage to engage in a creative, outrageous, dialogue not with those who would oppress us but with the vast majority of the population who are either misinformed or indifferent.

I really won't go all political on you cuz it isn't truly my thing but my emotions about this issue are very real.

Michael over at Dogpoet, a blog that I have been following for a while, is an incredible writer and sums up the emotions quite well.

HYSTERICAL!

This is what you are dealing with folks. Outtakes from the amicus brief supporting prop 8 submitted by the "nice" folks over at The Kingdom of Heaven World Divine Mission:

The Almighty Eternal Creator created all planets, including the earth and
all living creatures, including human souls. Through elections and appointments,
Global government leaders and officials are selected by the Almighty Eternal
Creator to serve the people. The Almighty Eternal Creator is the sole owner of
the earth and everything above, below, and in it. Global government leaders work
under authority of the Almighty Eternal Creator. Therefore, throughout the
world, government legislatures and people must make laws under the Almighty
Eternal Creator's Laws. Global government leaders, judges, justices, and law
enforcement officials must practice the sole owner of the earth's Laws in their
daily practice...

Courts throughout the entire State of California, the United States of
America, as well as world courts DO NOT have authority to reverse the Almighty
Eternal Creator's Law that bans same-sex marriage...Gay and lesbian marriage and
abortion are serious attempts to destroy the Almighty Eternal Creator's ongoing
creation of human life on earth! If they do not change their sexual conduct and
pay in full for damages caused while they are on earth, they surely must pay
after their earthly lives!

Wacky, wacky Christianists!



via Sully and Pam's House Blend

There'll Always be an England

Last week Mr. Billy was due to work a trade show exhibit in London and I tagged along. In spite of the worldly image I like to portray, this was my first time in the UK. You see, back in the paleolithic period when I was in college we didn't do the fancy schmancy study abroad thing that is so popular with the kids these days. Oh my no...at the fine Big Ten institution I attended we drank....a lot. Yep each week from Thursday til Sunday. The rest of the week we just did bong hits to make it through...didn't leave time for much else. We left stuff like getting all cultural and stuff to the rich brats at the tony liberal arts and Ivy League colleges.

But I digress...the borderline adult ADD does that to a person. Anyhow, Mr. Billy who has travelled the world about 72 times has dedicated his life to making sure that my cultural education is complete so off to London we did fly.

We started our first day with a proper English breakfast thanks to our friend Amanda who insisted. Now I am no stranger to the delights that are English cuisine. My Grand Mother is from the old country and she taught my Mum how to cook. We grew up with tongue sandwiches, shepherds pie, fruitcakes and mince tarts. But I will readily admit that this was the first time I'd ever had bangers and beans. They weren't brunch at NoMi but they weren't all bad.

So here's a few more pics from the first part of our trip.

And finally once you go Anglican...you never go back.

Flyover Tube 2.0

I assured you that this wouldn't become a pet blog. BUT I MEAN REALLY! This is too funny...a cat riding a Roomba?

Boomer Who?

So what exactly is a Boomer and why should you care? I dunno...you tell me. Certainly no one is reading this anyway so I will just ramble a bit.

Boomer is me...(Jeff actually) a 46 year-old mo who lives with Mr. Billy, my partner of 12 years whom it may surprise you to note is another mo. We live in the suburbs of Chicago. I know...you're so you're all like...fags in the burbs?!?!? Whoever heard of such a thing. Lesbians...I mean oh sure...but fags???

I am afraid so. After 14 years in Boystown we wanted a space with a yard for the terriers. They would be Wiggles and Barkley respectively and no this is not gonna be a pet blog so I hope I am not smashing all your hopes and dreams or whatever. If so...get over it!

Anyhoo, long story short, we wanted a house and didn't have the half million $$$ it would take to get a decent house in the city so here we are...in Bumfucke. And ya know what? It's not so bad. We spend all our time traveling into the city to eat, see friends, etc...but all in all it's OK. We're kind of like a gay Rob and Laura Petrie but without the whiney brat and the Bouffant and add two mutts. You get the picture. You ought to see the looks we get from the mildly uptight neighbors when we get 15 naked muscle bears in the hot tub...I kid...I kid. We have no hot tub...yet.

Finally why the title? Well in surfing the World Wide Web set of tubes that all the kids seem so crazy about, there appears to be a popular belief that no intellegent life exists west of the Hudson or east of the Sierras. Hmmm. We'll see about that!

OK I'm kinda bored with all this now...more later.

Flyover Tube: Hitting the Nail on the Head

This is a first post and I am still figuring this thing out. Perhaps I should tell you something about myself first but this commentary by Keith Olbermann on Prop 8 is too good to miss. Anyway since no one is reading anyhow I will share much more on me later.