Our porch for Halloween tonight

A snapped a quick video on my iPhone of what the trick-or-treaters saw tonight.

Photos from our Murder Mystery Dinner

On Saturday night Dale and I hosted a murder mystery dinner for 17 of our friends. It was an absolute blast. Everyone did an amazing job with their costumes and taking on their character. It was hysterical. Our friend Michelle Spidell was murdered between dinner and desert and it turned out our friend Sam was the killer. So fun! I snapped a few hundred photos.

Once, but twice

The bad part of flying back to back weeks on United Airlines is the sad reality that not only did I get to experience two bad films with Dinner with Schmucks and Grown-ups once, but twice.

Last week, I watched about 75% of Dinner with Schmucks. I actually was so bored with the movie, I considered walking out. The 10,000 foot drop seemed like a less painful alternative than watching Steve Carrell's career die before my eyes. Wednesday, I proved how stupid I truly am, by finishing the remaining 25% of the movie. I had hoped and even convinced myself the movie must improve at the end, but I was wrong. It was bad right until the credits rolled.

Grown-ups was not much better. It featured a great cast but it was another film that never executed. It was a dud. Kevin James and Adam Sandler deserve so much better. It had a poor script that even the best comedic actor would has suffered through. It did however seem fitting for Chris Rock and the guy from Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo to appear in this poor quality of film. David Spade deserves to be banned from going to see a movie, let alone appearing in one.

I think United Airlines should just run the movie Airplane on all flights on a continual loop.

My iPod on shuffle

I thought it would be fun to put my iPod on shuffle while on the plane today and post about each song as some songs have fun memories.

1. Mercy by the Glee Cast - Yes, I am a Gleek; this is a great version of the song; from early in season 1, actually episode 1 i think; it was sung by the rival school, who went onto win Nationals.

2. Someone Saved My Life Tonight by Nikki Boyer - beautiful song; although I have no idea what Nikki looks like I picture a sexy black woman, a piano, a spotlight and a cool lounge every time I hear this song; it has been a iPod staple for years.

3. I Drove All Night by Cyndi Lauper - I was obsessed when I first heard this version from Cyndi; I listened to it over and over; it is Cyndi at her sexiest if you ask me and what is sexier than a song about someone driving all night to be with someone; you can hear the passion in her voice and desperation we sometimes feel with desire; hot!

4. Time Warp by the Glee Cast - I warned you I was a Gleek; nothing will beat the original, but a fun version that I hope introduces a whole new generation to the cult classic.

5. Come Back to Me by Janet Jackson - I think to this day, it is still one of Janet's best ballad's; it will forever remind me of my high school girlfriend (yes, I used to date girls, move on) Jennifer Wheland Wettergren as this was popular on the radio when we dated the summer before college, so it always makes me smile; I love the ending of the song as it fades to just finger snapping and sound of rain.

6. Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas - I once read Rob Thomas wrote this song about his wife and her struggle with some disease, but for the life of me I cannot remember what disease; I follow Rob Thomas on Twitter; he is actually a good guy and husband.

7. King of Anything by Sara Bareillas - this is one of my favorite new songs; it is very catchy and it reminds me of the 90's movie About Last Night with Demi Moore and Rob Lowe; it just seems like the type of music that would plan in a montage from that movie; Sara Bareillas always seems like the plain girl, who dresses up and ends up being super hot.

8. If I Had You by Adam Lambert - I recently downloaded this; I am not a huge Adam fan as I feel he screams to much sometimes in his music but I like this song; it is a fun song to play in the car as it has good base.

9. Only Girl (in the World) by Rihanna - this song grew on me as I was not thrilled the first listen; I think it starts slow and about 45 seconds in you finally feel the power of the song; I think we all want the person we love to make us feel like the only one for them.

10. Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn - this remains a favorite of mine for years; Marc's voice is so damn sexy to me; it has a gospel infused southern drawl that always turns me on.

11. Hang With Me by Robyn - I am a huge Robyn fan; I think her voice has a fun, innocent quality that I love; this song has a great beat and I picture her on a dance floor spinning in circles singing the lyrics.

12. Best Days of Your Life by Kellie Pickler - I am not a huge country fan, but I like some country and I love The Pickler; not because she is a great singer, but because she is fun; she does not seem to take things too serious; I think this is her 2nd best song and the premise is great knowing you are in the back of your boyfriend's mind because you were the best thing he ever had and blew it.

13. P.S. I Love You by Bette Midler - haunting, poetic and heart wrenching, the song is Bette reading a letter to the man she loves who is separate from her, most likely by war; it is from her movie For the Boys and every time I see her perform this song I swear my heart breaks in two.

14. Telephone by Glee Cast - I know more Glee; sorry but this version of the song rocks.

15. Barely Breathing by Duncan Sheik - I never understood why Duncan never became a huge star as he is great looking, has a great voice and writes his own lyrics; anyhow good song.

16. Fresh Feeling by the Eels - to me this song feels very dreamy; not sure why; maybe it is the backup orchestra or the male lead's calming tone, but nonetheless it feels like something from a dream.

17. Better Be Good To Me by Tina Turner - I adore Tina; I adore this song; she owns a stage and a song; this song feels so honest, raw and real.

18. I Look to You by Glee Cast - shut up, I can listen to all the Glee I want; this is Mercedes at her best; a strong gospel song; you can feel such emotion in this song; brilliant.

19. Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel - I became a fan of Peter Gabriel in college after hearing my then girlfriend (yes, more girls) Lee Davenport play his album, So; he is brilliant and Kate Bush's voice with his on this song is wonderful; the lyrics are pure poetry and inspire.

20. How by Katharine McPhee - she was an American Idol runner-up, who actually has matured to have a nice singing voice; this song has a great build up.

21. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance) by C&C Music Factory - c'mon everybody loves this song; you cannot hear it as not want to dance; it makes you instantly feel better; the perfect workout song.

22. Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield - Dusty's code is sexy and so is this song; all about messing around with preacher's son; hot!

23. Secret by Seal - Seal remains one of my favorite male artists of all time; this song has such a beautiful pace to it; love it.

24. I Am Your Man by Seal - back to back Seal is heaven; this song has such amazing power as emotion as he declares himself to his love; you feel listening to this song he would give his life to his woman.

25. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry - okay, I am straight but if I picked a woman who is hot, it would be Katy Perry; she is innocence and sex all at once; I resisted downloading this song for a while but every damn time I heard it only the radio I found myself singing the chorus.

26. Check It Out by will.i.am and Nicki Minaj - a new favorite; I love the sampling of Video Killed the Radio Star by the Bungles; great beat; fun.

27. River Deep, Mountain High by the Glee Cast - Santana and Mercedes is near perfection; great version of this song as their voices compliment each other great.

28. Don't Worry Baby by the Beach Boys - I love the harmony of this group; this song is very different than their others as it has real emotion and a sadness as compared to the fun, fun, fun summer hits; to me this song showed how amazing Brian Wilson truly was as a writer and artist.

29. Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles - all 80's baby! I love the synthesized voices; a classic!

30. Fire Burning by Sean Kingston - a great dance tune; pure energy that gets you moving; another great workout song.

31. Somebody to Shove by Soul Asylum - I love this song from MTV's unplugged recordings; the lyrics are incredible and I am always amazed every time I hear it; brilliant.

32. MacArthur Park by Donna Summer - the queen of disco is amazing on this song; one of her absolute best.

33. Why Should She Wait by Marc Broussard featuring Sara Bareilles - another sexy southern man.

34. Symphony by Marie Digby - I love all things Marie Digby and in a time of one sing downloads, I still download her full album every time; incredible song writer; this song is all about breaking out and making your own place in the world.

35. You Make My Dreams by Hall and Oats - I fell in love with this song all over again last year while watching the movie (300) Days of Summer.

36. Evacuate the Dance Floor by Cascada - she is the queen of dance music today and this song makes you feel like you are out on a hot, sticky dance floor shaking your ass.

37. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Matt Rogers - this is a great version from an American Idol contestant from season 3; he is a white farm boy with so much soul; you will be shocked to see the man behind the voice.

Flight landed. Welcome to Denver!

Wider seats for a wider ass

I was upgraded to first class on my flight home today. I have to admit, I love first class. The wider seats were built for my wider ass. I love it all - the constant beverage service, the warm towel, the warm nuts, the meal service. I can only imagine what first class was like before September 11th as it must have been heavenly.

I am excited for November 3rd

You are probably reading the title of this post and thinking poor Tom, he is so slow he thinks Election Day is November 3rd. Although I am slow at times, I am aware that Election Day is November 2nd this year, but thank you for your pity.

So why am I excited for the day after Election Day? It means the end (although temporary) to all those damn political commercials on television and all the political signs blowing around my town. I am so tired of this deceptive advertising that bashes and tells small pieces of the true story.

It has become so shameless. Commercial #1 - Candidate A likes to eat small children. Commercial #2 - Candidate A is the second coming of Christ. Commercial #3 - Candidate B is the only hope against Candidate A. Commercial #4 - Candidate A and B are Satan. Vote for Candidate C. Sign #1 - Vote yes on Prop #33 and #61 and do to heaven. Sign #2 - Love America? Vote no on Prop #33 and #61.

It is terrible. The scariest part to me is I feel so many people out there see these commercials and signs and believe the lies and deceptive messages.

It is why I will be happy for November 3rd and the return of antidepressant, beer and fast food commercials that are still deceptive and full of lies, but that somehow seem less sleazy.

It is why I will be happy for November 3rd and the disappearance of all the roadside and lawn clutter telling me to vote for this and support that. It is just visual clutter.

However, I do feel it is important to vote and be informed. I just do not find reading a sign or listing to paid commercials to be a good way to get informed. I believe we all need to research the candidates and propositions on our ballot.

Do NOT let a TV commercial or sign on the side of the road win your vote. Vote for who and what matters to you November 2nd. No matter if you are a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, believe in the Tea Party or even alien abductions...you owe it to yourself to be heard and vote for your representation.



If not, you have nobody to blame but yourself when things are not the way you want. Get out and vote next week!

Things you think but don't say (or do)

Dear white trash neighbors, who tend to leave their dog outside on cold windy nights like last night so said dog can bark at 3:30 AM in the morning:

I plan to hurt you. You may think I am kidding, but I am not. I plan to come to your home, drag you outside and tie your dumb ass to a tree. I then plan to take your dog, who you neglect, home with me and give him a warm bed, dog toy, some sort of organic peanut butter treat and some love.

So please let's have a repeat of this morning, so all my plans can come true.

All my love,

Tom

Pure Love

There is a woman who rides my bus to and from work every day (just like me). I am not one who talks on the bus (or even makes eye contact for that matter), so I do not know her name, but she is probably in her early 60's (not like me as I am a spry 38) and seems nice enough.

However, she is not really the topic of this post but rather her husband (or boyfriend), who I look forward to seeing (no, I am not looking for a daddy, although he is quite distinguished) because of the pure love he demonstrates toward her daily.

You see, he always drops her off and picks her up from her bus stop and it is simply not just pulling up in the car. He always opens her door. He always walks her to and from the car talking her by the arm (I love this as you rarely see this anymore). He always hugs and kisses her goodbye and hello too. He seems so kind and such a gentleman. I love witnessing this display of affection every day. It makes me realize just how much good exists out there.

More of us need to show love every day. Walk the walk talk the talk.

Getting refocused

For the past three weeks I have not been extremely focused on my diet. I have not been diligent on my primary goals of:

1. tracking what I eat,
2. eating 1,600 calories or less daily
3. eating smaller portions more often
4. drinking 8 glasses of water daily
5. not eating after 7:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 PM on weekends, and
6. walking at least 60 minutes daily.

Now, even without a focus on this I have not gained any weight the past 3 weeks, but I have also not lost any additional weight. I am hovering at having lost 52 pounds and weighting 218 pounds.

However, staying at 218 pounds is not my goal, so I need to refocus. I need all of your help. Where are the messages asking why no diet updates? With the exception of my friend Sean Breen in NY as Dale, nobody has really asked how my dieting is going. You all need to help me stay focused! You need to hold me accountable to my goals and being busy, stressed and traveling are not acceptable excuses.

So as of today I am back on the diet wagon. I have 23 pounds to lose by 12/31/10.

Where are the trick-or-treaters?

Dale and I spent some time this afternoon “spookifying” the front porch. As you can see, it is ready for the trick-or-treaters, but we have been waiting for a few hours, but none. Just kidding. We did get the front porch ready for next weekend. We still plan to add a few items, but overall the graveyard / ghoul filled porch is ready for Halloween. I think it came out great. What do you think? Scary enough?

 

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It is obviously tough to tell, but there are lights around everything and some strobes going to give a scary effect. We also have some hanging caldrons on the porch and did orange lights on the side fence too. We really try to make it look a little  different each year to keep it interesting.

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We all even posted a bit for some photos. As you can see, even Zoe loves Halloween. Now we just need to get the inside decorated for next Saturday’s Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner.

Saturday Night was a blast

This past Saturday was such a great night. Dale and I were joined by our friends Sam & Anjanette for a great night or burgers, grape kool-aid, zombies and Straight No Chaser.

To kick off the evening we headed to H Burger in downtown Denver for an amazing dinner. None of us have ever been to H Burger before, but I had heard wonderful things, so we gave it a try. Three thumbs up! It was delicious. The burgers were damn near perfect and along with my mojito, I have the grape kool-aid drink, which is grape vodka, grape kool-aid and lemonade. It is the perfect dream. We can barely taste the alcohol but when you stand up, you realize it was there. Incredible. If you have not tried H Burger, go now and leave room for the ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

The best part of downtown Denver on Saturday night was the fact that it was the 5th Annual Zombie Crawl so over 5,000 people were dressed as zombies and wondering the 16th Street Mall. It was so incredible to see and we loved every minute of it.

After dinner, we did a little hat shopping in Larimer Square  and headed to the Buell Theatre to see the singing group, Straight No Chaser in concert. They were a lot of fun and put on a great show. All in all, it was a great night. My thanks to Sam, Anjanette and Dale for making it so much fun.  

It is my anal retentive nature...

...that is annoyed each and every day as I pass this clock in downtown Denver. The clock has been 8 minutes fast for the past two years.

Every day I see the clock and out of some sort of OCD-inspired reflex, I check my watch to make sure it is in fact still wrong. I know that seems a bit bizarre because mentally I know it is still wrong but for some reason I need to prove it to myself. Yes, I am a freak and I blame the Magnolia Hotel for allowing this to happen.

Me in Boston

I was in Boston earlier this week for my company's kickoff for Fiscal 2011 and on a break took a walk with my teammates Terri and Lana. It was a glorious autumn day and Lana snapped this photo of me.




I am not one for pictures of myself, but I think this one turned out pretty good. Thanks Lana!

Today is Wednesday, October 20th and I am wearing purple

I wear purple today in remembrance of the 6 boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months due to homophobic abuse at home and in schools: Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase, Asher Brown, Billy Lucas, Zach Harrington and all other victims of homophobia

I wear purple today because purple represents spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that is what we all need to have today and always: spirit.

I wear purple today because I have been the victims of that same bullying and harassment and have endured, survived and thrived regardless, perhaps even because of it.

I wear purple today because some of my family, friends, neighbors and co-workers have faced similar harassment in their youth.

I wear purple today to bring awareness to, and put an end to, intolerance that is causing our LGBT youth to take their lives out of desperation for the bullying and harassment to end.

I wear purple today as a message to my family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and schools, that I support efforts to stop bullying and save the lives of our LGBTQ youth.

I wear purple today to add my voice to the chorus of compassionate and concerned adults who have stood up for and spoken out in defense of our LGBT youth.

I wear purple today to send a message out to LGBTQ youth: It will and does get better and you will meet people who will love and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality.

I wear purple today as a reminder that, no matter how far we've come, we have a long way to go.

This video is so touching and powerful. Please watch.

I have watched it several times this week and every time it amazes me the strength of Joel Burns.

Dinner with the family

 

Tonight, Dale and I headed to Aurora to for dinner at Olive Garden with my family. My Dad was in town from Pennsylvania, so it was fun to get the whole gang back together. We had a great time.

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Photo 1 – My nieces Camryn & Lauren

Photo 2 – My nieces Kristin & Jillian

Photo 3 – My Dad and his wife, Colleen

Photo 4 – My nephew Ryan

White Ranch Park in Golden, CO

This morning my hiking partners, Sam and Anjanette took on White Park Ranch in Golden, Colorado. It was a beautiful fall day and a great, challenging hike with lots of elevation changes. We made a wrong turn and hiked an extra mile (mostly uphill), but we still had a great time. The views were spectacular. I love autumn in Colorado.

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Where is Tom?

I am sure many of you have noticed that I have been absent from blogging and Facebook for the past week. Several of you have even sent messages asking if everything is okay. Thank you for your love.

Everything is okay. I have just been extremely busy at work.

I worked 20 hours this past weekend and have been in the office by 5:30 AM each day the past week, plus jumping back online each evening when I get home to try to keep my head above water. As you can guess, all the extra work hours have left me next to no time to update this blog or Facebook.

Why the crazy work hours? I was promoted last week to Executive Vice President and General Manager of my company's Denver office, so I am working hard getting up to speed on the new role, while trying to transition the duties of my previous role.

I am excited for the new position and increased responsibilities. I have a great Team along side me, so I am very fortunate. I know this will be a great year for Bridgeline Digital.

So that is the news and why I have been a bit absent online. Be patient. Once I get things in a rhythm at work, I will be back to my old self.

Those who matter, won't mind and those who mind, don't matter.

Today is National Coming Out Day. As an openly gay man, I know the anxiety that surrounds coming to terms with who you are and the stress of being brave enough to share that with your friends, family and colleagues.

I will not lie and say it is easy coming out, but the self-worth that comes from living your life honestly makes it worth it. My advice for those considering coming out:

1. Before others will accept you, you must accept yourself.

2. You will know when it is the right time for you to start to come out. Don't feel forced. Today is about awareness and knowing others have shared and will share these same feelings, not about feeling pressured.

3. Coming out is a process. Start with those you feel will accept you most.

4. Remember those who matter, won't mind and those who mind, don't matter.

All my love to anyone dealing with coming out and all my love and respect to all of you in my life, who accept me for me.

Hiking North Table Mountain

On Saturday morning at 6:00 AM, I joined my friends Sam and Anjanette for a nice hike up North Table Mountain in Golden, Colorado. It was a cool, crisp autumn morning and a beautiful hike filled with good friends, the beauty of Colorado and even some deer along the way. It was 5.4 miles and very enjoyable. I snapped some photos.

The deer.

Looking up.

Anjanette - trail leader.

Stunning views!

Beautiful.

Sam & Anjanette checking out the map.

On the top of North Table Mountain.

Another picture from the top as we went across North Table Loop.

Every bit helps

For the past 3 weeks I have been taking the six flights of stairs to my office each day rather than take the elevator.




It is not a huge workout being only six flights but it does get my heart beating a little quicker and must be better than standing still in the elevator, right?

I feel every day is full of small opportunities to get extra exercise, so I take the stairs and park further than normal at the grocery store parking lot. I figure each extra step gets me that much closer to a healthier me.

What do you do to get in your exercise? Do you go to the gym? Go running? What little workout secrets have you found?

Riding on a bus

On most mornings my day starts on the bus.




For the most part I like taking the bus to work. It allows me time each day to read, plus it reduces my commute time and it gets one more single car driver off the road.

The downside is I am tied to a bus schedule and sometimes it feels like a bus full of cold and flu. But hey, nothing is perfect, right?

How do you get to work? Do you wet take public transportation?

Read all about it

I start my weekdays typically on the bus heading to work and reading USA Today. I get the paper delivered to my house.




I know a lot of people mock USA Today as not being a real newspaper, but I like it.

USA Today is simple, consistent and predictable. For the same reasons I like Starbucks, I like USA Today.

In the morning, when I am not fully operating on all cylinders, I like that the articles in USA Today are lighter and easier to read than most local newspapers.

I do not want to start my day depressed and overwhelmed. USA Today leans toward more human interest than shock reporting, so it is perfect for me.

Also, it has a colorful, highly graphical format that works perfect for a 30 minute bus ride. It is designed to be scanned and allows me to read a few articles in depth.

Also, when I travel for work I still get the same paper, so while for most reading USA Today means you are away from home, for me it does not.

What is your favorite newspaper? Do you still get one delivered? Are you strictly Internet for news?

Free Mall Shuttle

I snapped this photo early this morning at about 6:15 AM as I was walking to work.




The 16th Street Mall shuttle buses are very iconic in downtown Denver. You see them zipping by all day and on a bad weather day, they are packed.

I remember when I first visited Denver, the Mall Shuttle seemed so cool, but now it seems ordinary and quite dangerous. I guess after witnessing three or four accidents involving the buses and pedestrians over the years, they have lost a bit of their charm.

Is there something in your city you once found cool, but now take for granted or find common?

Great weekend

It was a great weekend in Breckenridge, Colorado. My thanks to Dale, Zoe, Sam and Anjanette for a wonderful time in the mountains. I had a wonderful time and it was two fun filled days.

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Co-pilot

Zoe did excellent on the trip to Breckenridge. She seemed a little stressed by the altitude changes but overall did great in the truck. She liked lying in the middle of the truck with her butt on the backseat and her head on the front seat middle arm rest. She definitely liked being co-pilot.




Here is a shot of the back of her head making sure Dale was going the right direction. She even snuggled up with Sam for a bit on the ride home.

Zoe did great at the condo, walking around Breckenridge and even at the outdoor dining spots. I am glad we decided to bring her along for the weekend getaway.

My dark side

I look like an advertisement for anti-depressants. This was a self portrait and the start of a new black and white phase I see myself entering. As you can also see, I get bored on car rides.

Georgetown

On our way home from Breckenridge, we made a quick stop in Georgetown to check out Aspen Festival. The festival was sort of lame but Georgetown is always quaint.

Love

Great pictures of Sam and Anjanette. One of the most fun and loving couples I know.

How I love fondue...

...especially chocolate.

Me and my man

After eating a vat of cheese fondue at The Swiss Haven in Breckenridge.

The Swiss Haven

Sam and Anjanette before the wine and fondue start to flow.

Sunset in Breckenridge

Beautiful.

Pretty as a postcard

I wish I had brought my nice camera to Breckenridge, but my iPhone works in a pinch.

More of Dale and Zoe

Along the Blue River.

I love this photo

The sun peaking through the leaves just makes me happy.

Our little family

Dale, Zoe and I in Breckenridge. Aren't we the cutest family ever?

Blue River Trail

After a nice lunch at Empire Burgers, Dale and Zoe headed back to the condo for a nap, while Sam, Anjanette and I went for a 90 minute hike along Blue River trail. Sunny and 60 degrees made for a perfect hike.