The Trials and Tribulations of the not-so-New Bear Icon

It's now been a year that I grabbed up some of my belongings and moved into this house. It's been pretty good. I certainly love the TV! The companionship has been nice too. I'm also glad to have a dog in my life again. It's taken a little getting used to, having Chris around everyday as opposed to the weekends that we had shared previously.

Sure, we're both a little tough to talk to, and occasionally it's lead to some misunderstandings and some hurt feelings, but I'm going to guess that happens with every couple. Personally, I don't know. It's still my first time around. Still, I think we have learned to understand each other better in the past year and hopefully we'll get even more in synch.

Of course we're both pretty darn stubborn. I think I beat him in this in a lot of ways, especially with my eating habits. Chris doesn't like that I won't eat veggies, and a lot of the recipes that he knows have something in them that I won't eat, so we just end up going out to eat all of the time. It's something I need to work on because Chris would like to cook more and I could use to save some of the money we spend going out.

The real gripe about the big move has been the job. I won't dwell on it much tonight, but let me say that I think I was told things about this job that it clearly isn't. Still, I'm happier that my current boss is much more receptive to my wanting to do more, and be more than my previous one who only talked to me at my review. 2007 is definitely about setting myself up for, and getting a better position.

One of the biggest changes was the sleeping arrangements - and I'm not just saying this because we had both slept on the same side of the bed when we were single (on the left). I made the move over to the right. However, there's a study that said that couples get less sleep than singles do, and I believe it. The study says couples lose up to 49 minutes of sleep a night. I haven't seen exactly why this is, but I have some ideas.

for one, you're somewhat conscious of your partner while you're in bed. Not just in the way that when they move you might wake up, but there just seems to be a little instinctual thing that makes you a little bit aware of their presence. I know that when I move around I kind of "feel" where Chris is, so I won't kick him.

Strangely, I'm usually the one who stays in my zone. It's probably from the many years I have spent in a twin bed, even as an adult. My tossing and turning can be kept in a relatively small space. I think that this technique was improved over many band road trips where I'd have to sleep with someone in a hotel bedroom, and try not to touch them because I was scared that the other person would think that I was "that way".

Chris will slide his legs over to my side of the bed sometimes. I don't know why, but he likes to sleep diagonally. Since we both have CPAPs and are usually connected to tubes all night, we don't get to do a lot of spooning. Spooning's nice, but it usually wipes both of us out for the next day.

Of course there's one other element that has changed our sleeping arrangements over the last month or so. Joey the Dog has been joining us at night because my soft heart doesn't like sending her out to sleep on the porch on a cold night. She's a big 50 lbs lump who likes to sleep on top of the comforter in the space right between Chris and I. Somehow she steals the comforter off of me on many a night.

She's gained the privilege to sleep with us as she can stay still for most of the night. I remember when she was a puppy and I'd be over we tried to let her sleep with us, but she'd run around and bark and yes, she once peed on the bed while we were in it. Now that she's grown up (she just turned three), she's usually well-behaved. As it gets warmer again, I think we'll put her outside at night, so I hope she doesn't get to used to it.

For a few years I did sleep in my small twin bed with my family's wiener dog, Fritz. He was a pretty big dachshund, so there wasn't a lot of room for the two of us, but he liked to burrow under the covers. Joey certainly does not want to be under the covers. She likes to sleep where she can have a good view of everything.

There's a nice feeling, though, of once you put your CPAP mask on, that there's someone there who loves you. Just as you drift off there's a light touch from your partner, or maybe you hold hands for a little bit. It's nice, and reassuring.

Of course, it's a big bed, which is great. We go to hotels and suddenly we're in this small bed and there's no elbow room! Talk about having a tough time getting to sleep! I guess we're both guys who need our space. Still, our bed's up pretty high, so there are times where i worry that I may one day fall out of bed - though it's been years since I've done that.

Yeah, my life changed quite a bit over the last year, but it's been a good thing, something that's helped me grow up, and be more responsible in thinking about two instead of just one. Decisions I make, and the moods I express effect him, and his effect me. It's a different world.

I love being here with Chris. Really, it isn't about Dallas. I haven't found all that much to brag about, city wise. It's all about the relationship and learning about Chris and learning about myself. It's about the everyday lives of two people, and the difference in everyday living as opposed to dating, or just seeing each other on special occasions. Luckily the transition has been a good one.

Though I'd say I'm most grateful I didn't have to buy an HD-TV of my own!

Being from Texas, and knowing the wonder that is Sugar Land, I would have some familiarity with the former exterminator turned Hammer who announced that he's giving up his post in June. Of course, there's nothing really altruistic in what Tom DeLay does, and this is no exception. He's leaving in June because Congress check out in June so it's members can go out onto the campaign trail for the following several months, so DeLay will only miss the lame duck votes taken after the November elections. All the important votes that will be used to show what issues your congressman wants to show to the public will be taken in the next three months.

DeLay looked to have a tough battle this year in getting re-elected. Just as he's said, yes, the battle would have been about him and his record, not that of his opponent, Nick Lampson. DeLay was even the subject of the Republican primaries as two opponents tried to show the people of Sugar Land, Texas should vote for a new face, rather than the powerful lawmaker, but Sugar land is a very, very red area. Of course, DeLay had some doing in making it that way. he helped the Texas Legislature gerrymander several Republican strongholds where it should be nearly impossible for an incumbent Republican to be unseated. knowing that, for DeLay to even think that he might be swept out of office is a real revelation on just how bad his name reputation has become.

Since Texas doesn't let winners of primaries just elect to not be in an election, DeLay had to change residences to get out of the race. Not like this is a big deal, as most congressmen only spend a short time in their districts each year. Living in Virginia will be just fine as it's pretty certain that DeLay will get to wield the Hammer as a lobbyist, which is ironic, since he might end up in jail for accepting money from lobbyists. He represents the worst in what american politics can be, which is also interesting as he helped throw out what was perceived to be a corrupt congress in 1994.

So now there will be a new person hand picked by the party to become the new incumbent, and run against Lampson. It's unlikely that the two primary opponents, bent on being more moderate than DeLay will get a nod, as there's plenty of others who will tow the congressman's theocratic and devil-may-care policies. The lucky new incumbent will have two advantages, being an incumbent by accident, and not having the record of the Texas Hammer to have to try to talk his way out. It actually looks good for this guy or gal, in a very conservative Texas suburb.

While DeLay has already tried to taunt his Democratic opponent by saying that he's now taken off the best campaign fodder, DeLay is actually wrong. Democrats all across the country should use the image of DeLay as the touch stone of just how out of touch and corrupt the Republicans have become. DeLay's not the first one in trouble, and there will be several more who will come under scrutiny throughout this election season.

Now lets hope that the Democrats are strong enough to actually fight.

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Windows XP on Mac hardware. Supported by Apple. Who would have thought?
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And now to answer one more question, this time from Gary, gmjambear.

What attracted you to Chris and vice-versa?

Well, I can't speak for Chris, but I'm sure it's my...

Never mind.

I think I started falling for Chris about as soon as I met him. I was worried about that, since I was totally crushing on someone else at the time. I remember our first meeting, I was on my lunch break, and we met after failing to meet the weekend prior - he went to the rugby game in Houston he thought I'd be at, I went to a play that Chris was originally going to attend in Austin.

So over lunch I nervously talked and talked and talked, as Chris just listened, and probably thought I was a freak. Still, it wasn't until we went out to the cars and Chris just hugged me and gave me a little tummy rub that i really got an understanding of how sweet he is. I giggled because it both tickled me and made me blush to no end. I was still pretty new to all of this, so it was still remarkable to be touched by a good looking guy that way.

That continued to carry over as I got to know him more, usually I'd find a way to visit my sister in Dallas, and sneak off for a bit to see Chris, but it quickly became me coming up to see Chris, and I'd visit my sister for a little bit. Now of course, there's no need for such an excuse, and it wouldn't work anyway, as my sister is in baltimore, but it allowed me to get to know chris little by little. I found that i liked his since of humor, and his smile, and jut the way he makes me feel important and good, and alive.

That's not to say he doesn't have a nice body and hair and all that, because he does, but if I just based it on that, there really wouldn't be a relationship here. Chris is quiet, and sometimes I like that he's probably told me more things, shared more of himself with me than just about anyone else on this earth.

There's also a sense of trust and support, that make everything good, and made being able to take the leap into dating, and now living together, much easier. Now I'm trying to show him support as he'll want make some moves and changes to improve his life, including going back to school, so that could make things interesting, but you know, I'm glad to be with him, and to be along for the ride.

I've got one last question to go, so I'll try to get to it tomorrow.