All Time Fave

My all-time favorite pic of Jessie Pavelka. It's not difficult to understand why.

PTT Recommends ABC's Happy Ending

Happy Endings returned this week, but only held onto 57% of its lead in, Modern Family. So for those of you who tune in for the big winner at the Emmys this year, give the follow-up show a chance. The characters mesh well together. The writing is solid. You actually will laugh out loud once or twice. Happy Endings. Wednesday nights, ABC, 8:30 Central.

Sweet Memories

On my way back to the office from lunch, I heard Sweet Dreams by La Bouche. The song took me back to 1996 - specifically a moment in time when I was eating chili out of blue ceramic bowls with Chris, before we were a couple, at his apartment on Cedar Springs. I was there to help him pack for his eventual move across town. We watched TV, he talked about a man he liked (a muscular guy named Jami), all the while I boiled on the inside because I wanted him for myself.

Seems About Right

Oh the frustrations of getting old. If you want to get rid of some back fat, you lean out to the point of looking gaunt in the face. To look more youthful in the face, you ultimately gain back fat. So what's more important? To look 34 with a bit of jiggling, or 40 with abs and core of steel?

Rufskin Discovery

I received a note about an underwear sale in my Yahoo! mailbox. So I checked it out. Who knew Rufskin had such hotties promoting their line? I should visit their site more.

Meant 2 B

I realized today, while talking to Chris, that my last day of work with Translation will be October 13th. And oddly enough, 13 is my lucky number. All of which means someone is trying to tell me something - that I made the right decision to leave.

UPDATE: Turns out my last day is on the 14th, not the 13th. However, a new show on HGTV, Selling LA, premieres on the 13th. So it was meant to be after all!

Not Looking Good

Six straight days of not reaching 65 degrees in Chicago. According to WGN, that hasn't happened since 1959. Great. Not starting Fall on a good note. What does that mean for Winter? At least my grass seed is taking off.

With the new fall season just a few weeks old, I already have favorites including:

Up All Night - Maya Rudolph's take on Oprah is priceless. And Will Arnett and Christina Applegate have awesome chemistry and improv skills on this NBC Wednesday entry.

2 Broke Girls - At first, you're a bit unsure about this Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings created show. One of the stars, Kat Dennings as Max, has the potential to grate on your nerves a bit with her poor working class attitude. But you quickly fall in love with not only her, but the Paris Hilton modeled Caroline played by Beth Behrs. A nice introduction to an otherwise unwatchable (for me) CBS Monday line-up.

New Girl - I couldn't keep from laughing as we watched this new Zooey Deschanel star vehicle on Fox. Her take on Jess reminds me a bit of a grown-up version of that boy from Christmas Story. I especially appreciate Jess' personal theme song (reminiscent of those bad TV parodies on SNL). Truly one of new season's best.

Obama and HRC

President Obama is scheduled to give the keynote address at HRC's gala dinner this fall. Sure, he wants the gay vote. But I also believe if and when he gets re-elected, he'll throw his weight behind gay rights. After all, he won't have to worry about another term. So he'll be like (to the Republicans and those against equal rights), "Whatever bitches!"

Reason 2 Visit Sydney

Chris is scheduled to visit Sydney in November for work. I'm thinking I need to join him. The problem is I'm not a fan of flying. But if Hugh Jackman would be frolicking on Bondi Beach like he was today, I might be persuaded.

Utah's Undie Run

Salt Lake City's "Undie Run" was a peaceful way of declaring to state lawmakers that some aren't happy with uptight legislation. Good for them. However, after spotting this picture from the event, I'm thinking it could be an add for a local gym. "Don't let this happen to you."

Winnie in Poo

I went home for lunch to let the dogs out. I smelled a strange odor upon releasing Winnie from her kennel. "Perhaps she has gas," I thought. 20 minutes later, when I went to return Winnie to her sanctuary, I realized it was more than fumes. Rather, she had pooped in her room. So I spent the next 15 minutes rinsing out her cage, washing her bed, and prepping her space so she could be comfortable until I return home at 5. Not fun. What is humorous, however, is the thought I had while sitting back down at my desk. "Winnie in pooh, literally!"

PTT Political View

I have to admit, if it weren't for Obama's stance on gay issues, I'm not sure he'd receive my vote come November 2012. But he's our closest ally right now as the Supreme Court seems to be taking their time determining if a majority can dictate the rights of a minority. So here's to hoping Obama steps up to the plate with a decent economic plan that gets America back on track and out of the gutter.

Chris Gets Serious (and Half Naked Again!)

No matter the role, it seems Chris Evans likes to go shirtless. I'm not complaining. Especially in his new "serious" role as a laywer in Puncture. A bit dirty but oh so sexy.

The Real Pan Am

Can't Wait

Fat Sally Sunday & TV

What a night for TV! Not only does Pan Am on ABC start, American Dad, Amazing Race and Desperate Housewives returns. Combine this with the bierocks we'll be eating for Fat Sally Sunday dinner, and a Portillos chocolate cake Chris baked for dessert, and you get a happy gay fella who'll be calorie loading once 7 p.m. rolls around (and I return from a gay wedding reception).

Garage Jam

Just after sitting in our garage, jamming out to N'Sync Tearin' Up My Heart, Backstreet Boys Larger Than Life and Britney Spears Born to Make You Happy, I wondered, "Is it weird for a 40 year old man to be doing that on a Saturday night at 9:00 p.m.?" I had just dropped Chris and Hekk off at Wang's on Broadway in Boystown, so I was all alone. And like catnip to our Ragdoll, the late 90s tunes took me to a happy place - all be it in the dark while the car was running.

Big Man Jeremy

The season's first episode of Vampire Diaries shows us just how much Jeremy Gilbert, actor Steven McQueen, grew up over the summer. He's now one of the hottest men on the show - and that's not an easy task considering everyone is attractive. Our Jeremy is maturing just fine.

Drives Me Nuts

I'm going to rant. It's frustrating (and drives me cuckoo) when I see pictures of friends, men, who have muscular and ripped bodies as a result of using either steroids or human growth hormones. Why? Because for those of us who go the natural route, we either follow suit, accept we don't look as good or bust our asses to achieve the same goal (which is nearly impossible because as you lean out, you inevitably lose muscle size). All of which is very frustrating and again, drives me nuts.

The Gang from Mykonos

What 2 Watch?

Thursday is a popular night for advertisers. As a result, the networks are loading the schedule. All of which means we have to pick and chose what to record. Vampire Diaries. X Factor. Big Bang. Parks & Recreation. Secret Circle. 30 Rock. Yikes!

Just Say No 2 Subway's Crispy Chicken

Yes I know Subway sandwiches, and the meat that comprises them, aren't the best quality. But today on my way back to the office, I decided to try their new Crispy Chicken sandwich that's part of Subway's Fit Line. I do, afterall, like the Morningstar Chicken Patties and their inclusion in my 5:00 snack time. Well, turns out they aren't the same - by far. The Subway version has no flavor, no spices, no taste. So I won't be having that one again. Darn you marketing people!

Oops Simon

I much prefer X Factor over American Idol. Once the live shows hit, the production numbers are bigger and better. There's dancing and cannons exploding. But last night's auditions looked too much like "we've seen it before." And that's because we have on American Idol, The Voice and America's Got Talent. All of which explains why only 12.5M watched - getting beat by Modern Family. That's almost 30-40% lower ratings that American Idol. Or perhaps it's Simon's plastic surgery. In any case, Simon's quest for the show to be bigger than Idol seems to have failed - for now.

Sweet Memories

My little brother posted this picture on his Facebook page today. Sweet memories of him and my grandparents. Some commented on his weight (considering he's tall and skinny now). The fact is most of us were all chunky growing up - including my dad and uncles. Just a "pear shaped gene" that runs in the family.

Fashion No. Men Yes.

Dorian Magazine, a gay lifestyle publication in Europe, features a fashion spread this month titled, "Men of Color." I'm not digging the clothes, but the models, now that's a different story - especially the one on the left.

From Perfectly Fit to Frickin' Huge

Former University of Denver men's basketball player, Phil Heath, just won the title of Mr. Olympia along with a check for $200,000. Too bad the money won't be enough to cover what he spent on steroids.

Apple Store Dance

You never know if and when a video will go viral. But sometimes, there's one that has a magical mix that helps it to take off and fly. The Apple Store Dance below is one example. We came across the video in the office. Watch the views leap from 40K to over 1MM in a few days. Guaranteed.

Rosie's Pad In Wrigleyville

If you're wondering where Rosie bought a house in Wrigleyville, let's just say it's not far from Ashland and Addison. I could post the address, including the real estate listing of the $2.5 million home, but something just feels wrong about giving her location away. So instead, I'll just post a picture. Here's to seeing her around the hood - especially Andersonville as we know how the lesbians love Edgewater. Which makes me wonder, "Why didn't she buy next door to us?

Facebook Changes Once Again

Facebook once again changed its format. Which just throws more fuel on the fire in terms of me jumping ship. These new additions make it a bit more difficult to filter posts - now with Top Stories. How about this Zuckerberg. I understand you need to keep up with Google+, but users grow tired of constant revamps.

Burnin'

Don't you just love it when you wake-up with burning eyes as a result of you being tired? Something not even Visine can make better?

Perhaps a PTT Advent Calendar Featured Product?

Toys R' Us just announced 15 hot toys for this holiday season. One of them caught my eye. The Air Swimmers eXtreme Giant Flying Clown Fish, by Animal Planet, is an inflatable fish balloon that is radio controlled and seems to swim through the air. Sadly, a helium tank is sold separately.

How You Doin'

When I jump on Facebook, I'm told to become a follower of Joey Gonzalez - COO /Owner of Barry's Bootcamp. With looks like Joey's, it's hard to say no!

Doing My Part

There was a big search for "Weird Cell Phone Sound" after the Emmys as my traffic jumped like crazy. Good to know I could do my part in letting others around the world know they weren't crazy.

The Hassle

Over the past few days, I've been spending my time trying to get our cash back from a rug purchase we made last March. The retailer actually told us he used our money to pay his taxes. Sadly, this revelation didn't happen until May. Since, he's been paying us back in small increments.

This past week, I grew tired of his non communication so I threatened to contact the Attorney General. After all, we have is admittance of fault in emails.

Needless to say, he's promised us we'd have our money by the end of October. I understand people get into trouble - causing irrational thinking. But my patience only goes so far.

Jennifer Lopez Presents Papi

I jam out to this song on my way to work. The video, sadly, seems like a big ad for Fiat - even the stylings. Either way, the song is fun and should at least crack the top 40 (especially if she performs Papi on American Idol this fall.

Media Room's Makeover

As we know, not every measure works when trying to keep a basement dry. It doesn't help when your cleaning staff flushes rags down the toilet - keeping check valves open during a flood. So we've decided, as a result of July's lower level water damage (due to 8" of rain that day) to tile and heat the basement floor. We chose a plank tile, in subtle gray tones, that nicely compliment the dark olive walls - keeping it cozy, airy and light. We'll accent with area rugs to complete the look. This way, if and when more water does find its way into our home, we'll be able to quickly clean it up! Which hopefully won't happen now that our cleaning staff no longer dumps water into the toilets.

Today, they started the tile work. Looking good so far! I'm sure Dennis will be happy to have his space back. We will too.

Emmys Weird Cell Phone

Throughout tonight's Emmys telecast, there was a strange cell phone like sound underneath the program's sound track. I heard it. Nobody else could - my friend Valerie and Chris just to name a few. So when I looked to Twitter to see if anybody else had heard the noise, I found out I wasn't crazy. See the link below that confirms my bionic hearing was right.

http://twitter.com/#!/search/emmys%20cell%20phone%20sound

What a Surprise

Chris surprised me today with one of my favorites from Vince this season - the C.P.O. leather jacket. I had tried the piece on a few months back but opted to wait. So Chris talked to our favorite sales gal Kristin at Vince on Ohio Street in Chicago and she pulled it first thing when the California designer shop had a pre-sale. Can't wait to wear it!

Sushi Then Sex

I learned this weekend that a local sushi establishment turns into a sex party den in the wee hours of the night. Apparently, this festive gathering is by invitation only. Once the clock strikes 2 a.m., the doors lock, the lights go down, and the shenanigans begin.

1st Day of Oktoberfest

Today is the first day of Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Oh how I miss walking the grounds with Maddie as I watched the beer tents and rides being constructed.

What Happened Matthew?

I'm not trying to be mean, but what happened to Matthew Fox? You fade from TV and you fall apart? There are some things we can't control, but others, well, there are stylists, physicians, personal trainers and surgeons for such unfortunate turn of events. I'm just sayin'.

Wiig as Disco Weather Girl Dixon

Craigery Morgan reminded me of this skit with Kristin Wiig. I grow tired of the shirtless boy wonder's antics (as his lip syncing no longer is amusing) so instead, I'm posting the original.

Wise Words

You can learn much from friends' postings on Facebook. I keep thinking I'll jump ship from the social network, but then gems like this keep me engaged and unwilling to delete my account.

"A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath." ~ Proverbs 15:1.

Just Plain Fun

I recently purchased this iPhone cover for my mobile. Since, I've named it "Mix Tape '83." That was a good year for music.

PS - This was the first post using Blogger's new iPhone mobile App. It's not as robust as the original method, making it difficult to center pictures and such, but it's about time Blogger had an easier way for me to update the blog "on the go."

Looks Familiar

I got this excited when my grandma bought me a new Barbie from Alco. And perhaps my Donnie and Marie dolls too.

New & Surely Noteworthy

Caught My Eye

This ad for Sensa for Men (that appeared as a banner on my Yahoo! email page) caught my eye. Not for the message, but for the guy on the right.

Congrats Rachel

Congratulations to Rachel for winning season 13 of the CBS summer hit Big Brother. She had a target on her back from day one so I'm surprised she outlasted the rest. But her manipulating suited her game well. As for Jeff winning the viewer's choice, I can understand why but his "homophobic" comments still don't sit well with me.

Looking Back: Psarou Beach and Nammos

We had late lunch reservations for 16 at 4:00. As you can see, the tables turned, literally, around 5. A great afternoon with old and new friends.