Pitter Patter

There are certain actors that make my heart go pitter patter and can take my breath away when I see them on the screen. Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber on Star Trek: Discovery is one of them, and the new uniform this season makes him even hotter. There’s something about these new uniforms that just look great, no matter who is wearing them, but back to Cruz. When he played Enrique "Rickie" Vasquez, a troubled, gay teen, in the short-lived series My So-Called Life, Cruz was the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay character in a leading role in an American television series. That was in 1994, and I was a junior in high school. While I may not have been out, or even understood that I was gay back then, Cruz still made an impression on me. So when he was cast in Discovery as a gay doctor, I was thrilled. Who better to play one of the first two openly gay Star Trek characters than such a groundbreaking actor. Also, while over the four seasons of Discovery Cruz’s role has become more important each year, his character in the fourth season seems to have really hit its stride. Dr. Bashir on Deep Space Nine and Dr. McCoy on the original Star Trek have always been my favorite Star Trek doctors, Dr. Culber has surpassed them.

There are other actors that always get me hot and bothered. One of those actors is Luke Macfarlane. You’re probably all going, “Who?” Macfarlane first notable role was as Scotty Wandell on ABC's Brothers & Sisters from 2006-2011. He was the husband to Kevin Walker (played by Matthew Rhys), one of the "brothers" of the show. He was also a main character in the Sci-Fi Channel (and Canada’s Space Channel) show Killjoys from 2015-2019. Also, if you watch any Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, he’s on of their go-to actors. Most recently he was in the Micheal Urie and Kathy Najimy Christmas movie on Netflix Single All the Way as the gorgeous fitness/ski instructor James (see above picture). I watched the movie last night and enjoyed it. I have not seen Macfarlane in a lot of stuff since I had seen him in Killjoys, but when he came on the screen in Single All the Way, I think my heart literally skipped a beat.

There are many gay actors that I love, and a few that aren’t gay, that make my heart go pitter patter. One that never fails me is Colton Haynes. I have been in love with him since I first saw pictures of him making out with another male model in the now defunct XY Magazine. Years later,  he was in Teen Wolf and Arrow. What’s amazing about Haynes is that he’s been a successful model and actor but has also suffered from severe anxiety all of his life. Sadly, he dealt with that anxiety with drugs and alcohol, but as I understand it, he is finally sober and doing well these days.

So what actors, particularly gay ones, make your heart go pitter patter?

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The Good Fight

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

—2 Timothy 4:7-8

 

The Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy, usually referred to as Second Timothy, is one of the three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. It is addressed to Timothy, a fellow missionary and traditionally is considered to be the last epistle he wrote before his death. The passage above is known as Paul’s Valedictory, or his final farewell to Timothy.

 

In our own final days, I think we should all strive to be able to say what Paul says here: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. We can never give up fighting the “good fight” and spreading the love that Jesus showed us in his time on earth. Jesus called out injustice and spread God’s love. Fighting the good fight is the only way we can make an impact on this world. It’s not always easy to live by example. 

 

I’ll admit, I am not always a kind person. My unkindness is usually associated with impatience, though I have tried very hard to increase my capacity for patience, but there are times when it gets the better of me. My other great flaw is gossip. I wish I did not love gossiping and hearing gossip so much, but I do. However, I try my best to never maliciously gossip. We all have sins that we wish we could control better, and so, it’s a constant struggle. There’s only two things we can do: work diligently to improve on and correct our faults and when we fail, we need to ask God for forgiveness.

 

If we do continue to fight the good fight then “there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” The Lord, will be our righteous Judge, and if we do our best to follow his example, we will be rewarded in the next life.

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Moment of Zen: Chest Hair

I love a man with chest hair, but I’m a bit of a Goldilocks when it comes to chest hair. I don’t want too much, but I do like a moderate amount of hair on a man’s chest. Maybe it’s because I’ve never had much chest hair.

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Busy

Yesterday was a busy day, and by the time I was able to stop and write my post for today, it was nearly 11 pm, well past my usual bedtime on a work night. I’d planned to write my post earlier in the day because I had finally remembered what I had planned to write for Thursday’s post. However, I was busy yesterday morning at work and couldn’t work on it then, and I took yesterday afternoon off to run some errands. The errands took longer than I had expected and by the time I got home, it was time to cook dinner. 

I’d found an interesting recipe for Wintertime Braised Beef Stew that I wanted to try out. It was a unique take on beef stew and I thought I’d try it. I’m always trying to improve on my recipe, but I think I’m going to give up on that quest. My simple beef stew recipe from my mother is still the best. Stew beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions cooked in a rich beef stock is far better than anything else I’ve tried. I know some people add celery, but I use celery salt because I hate cooked celery. Other people add peas at the end, but I’m not a fan of that either.I’ve read a few recipes that use red wine to make the stew richer and more robust in flavor. I tend to think it makes it too robust. The one thing I have found that I just can’t handle is putting tomatoes in a beef stew, like the recipe for the Wintertime Braised Beef Stew called for. I do flour and season the stew beef before browning it, which makes for a thicker broth, and honestly, the simple tried but true recipe is still the best.

Anyway, I’ve had a few ideas for posts that I’ll write for next week. I hope y’all will enjoy them. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Until then, I hope all of you have a wonderful Friday and a good weekend.

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Forgotten

Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting at my desk, and I thought of a great topic to write about today. Then I got distracted, and for the life of me, I can no longer remember what I had wanted to write about. I guess it must not have been such a “great” topic after all. I was the only person at work yesterday afternoon, so I had plenty of time to think considering that I nothing much else to do. I should have written it down as soon as I thought about it so I’d have a reminder,  it for whatever reason, I didn’t do that. I often write things down or email a note to myself as a way to remind me of my thoughts. I hate thinking of something and then forgetting it because I didn’t make a note of it.

Back when I was writing my dissertation, I’d lay down to go to sleep and think of the research and reading I’d done that day and some of what I had written, and sometimes in that process, I’d have a brainstorm or I’d think of a particular sentence I’d like to add. The first few times that happened, I’d think to myself that I’ll remember that in the morning. Then, when the morning came, I’d have forgotten all about my thoughts the previous night. From then on, I’d keep my laptop or a notebook beside my bed, so when inspiration struck, I’d immediately write it down. When I’d get up the next morning, there it would be waiting to remind me of what I wanted to incorporate into my dissertation.

Another good reason that I took notes late at night or even when I send emails to myself with my notes is that sometimes I realize the next day that it really wasn’t that great of an idea. Once I’d sleep on a topic or a note, I often rethink what I’d thought the night before. Sometimes those ideas just got discarded, but other times I’d be able to improve upon my earlier brainstorm. Just because you have a “great” idea one minute doesn’t mean that it is actually a great idea a few minutes or hours later. Whatever I decided to do with whatever notations I’d made, was a great experience for editing my work, even before I’d written it.

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Birthday Reflections

For my birthday, a friend took me to lunch at a place in Burlington that usually has excellent lobster bisque. I have to admit, yesterday’s bisque was not the best I’ve had, but it was tasty enough. For my entrée, I got their shrimp scampi, or at least that’s what they called it in the menu. Scampi should be a sauce of garlic, olive oil, butter, white wine, a touch of lemon, and parsley often served over linguine. This shrimp scampi was not any of that by any stretch of the imagination, except the overcooked linguine. Their “scampi” sauce was more of a lemon cream sauce with baby spinach and diced tomatoes. I don’t mind a lemon sauce. In fact, I love piccata, chicken or veal, but if you’ve ever made piccata you know that if you use too much lemon and cook it too long, it becomes bitter and overpowering. This “scampi” was bitter and overpowering. At least the shrimp tasted okay. After eating the “shrimp scampi” I turned down dessert. Besides, they didn’t have any kind of cake.

 

The best thing about the restaurant (besides being there with my friend) was the bartender/host who seated us. He was wearing a pair of khaki pants that left little to the imagination. He definitely had the kind of cake I wanted for my birthday, LOL. It was fun following him to our table. I definitely had some naughty thoughts about that man. He also had short but stylish light brown hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. He kept smiling at me, but I think he was just being friendly, or he could have overheard me tell my friend, “Now, I’d like to have him for my birthday.” I said it after he seated us and walked away but you never know. I’d have been mortified if he had heard me.

 

I tried to do a little shopping but the stores were so crowded, I just couldn’t handle it. I have never really enjoyed crowds, the only exception is when it’s a crowd of gay men, but even that makes me nervous, especially if I’m by myself. After entering two stores that were so crowded you could barely get around, I gave up and went to Starbucks for my free birthday beverage. This time of year, they always have the caramel brûlée latte, which is my favorite, though I get extra shots of espresso because otherwise it’s too sweet.

 

I’d considered going out for a birthday dinner, someplace with good cake for dessert. However, the lunch didn’t set well with me, so I had something light at home and had a glass of ginger ale. I have to go back to work today, and honestly I wish I had the rest of the week off, but I have to return at some point.

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A Birthday

A Birthday

By Christina Rossetti - 1830-1894

 

My heart is like a singing bird   

  Whose nest is in a water'd shoot;   

My heart is like an apple-tree   

  Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit;   

My heart is like a rainbow shell 

  That paddles in a halcyon sea;   

My heart is gladder than all these,   

  Because my love is come to me.   

  

Raise me a daïs of silk and down;   

  Hang it with vair and purple dyes;

Carve it in doves and pomegranates,   

  And peacocks with a hundred eyes;   

Work it in gold and silver grapes,   

  In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;   

Because the birthday of my life

  Is come, my love is come to me.

 

 

Today is my 44^th birthday. I took today off work, so I doubt I’ll be spending it with anyone. I am going to Burlington to have lunch with a friend of mine, and I might even take myself to dinner tonight and enjoy a lovely meal. Other than that, it’s really just another day. My mother will probably call, and my sister and her two kids will call to wish me happy birthday. That’s about it. Today’s poem is dedicated to it being my birthday.

 

About the Poem

 

Love poetry is a common theme in English literature, but there are a few truly great poems about being in love (and being happy). “A Birthday” is an example of a poem which celebrates being in love using colorful and majestic imagery. It is written by one of the Victorian era’s greatest poets. The poet is not celebrating her own birthday but celebrating the birthday of her lover.

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