APRIL
1 April 2023 Saturday
It was a cold day with the breeze but it was
clear and there was no snow. This morning Kyle Foote came up with a $2000 check
and wanted us to go to the credit union
to deposit it. We went to America First in Lee’s Market and I deposited
the entire check in my line of credit but then had a certified check made out
for $1800 to the Tooele Court that either we or I will take out on Monday
. Adrian Villalobos came up to fix himself some
breakfast before heading off to the gym and Kyle was back downstairs all day
working from home.
When
I took the pups for a walk this morning Peter and Brittany Nash were out in
their front yard working and listening to the General Conference which was
blaring on the radio. It reminded me of how Jay and Gisela used to have it on
full blast back in the 1990’s when they lived across the street from me. The
neighborhood used to be mainly Mormons back then but 25 years later its mostly
Mexican and Polynesian. I think how over the same time period my folks home in
Garden Grove went from being almost exclusively white to almost all Vietnamese
and Mexican. Places have their seasons.
There are three stages of life.... wanting stuff, accumulating stuff, and
getting rid of stuff... I am in the last stage.
I
really didn’t do much except my usual routine. Kyle came up around supper time
and asked if I wanted anything from China Delight. I had just gotten up from
too long of a nap and was rather groggy but I said sure and he brought me home
some Pork Chow Mein. Adrian was out driving for door dash so I didn’t see
anyone after that before going to bed.
I
watched some old movies on HBO I had put in my queue like Betty Davis in “Now
Voyager”. I still enjoyed the old
melodrama and even with all the smoking that was meant to be romantic.
At
one point Maxx and TJ were outside barking incessantly and when I went to shut
them up, I saw that they were barking at a dead squirrel that was lying in the
little area where I had buried Buster.
It was way too dark outside so I covered the little creature so the dogs
would leave it alone.
I
fell asleep on the lazy boy so around 10:30 got up to go to bed. In my room I
heard faint music and was surprised to see Kyle and Adrian using the hot tub
which they hadn’t since Adrian’s birthday last November. They were romantic and
that made me happy that life goes on this first of April.
It was a cool day and kind of overcast but it didn’t
keep me from walking the pups and burying the dead squirrel by the side of the
house in the backyard. He was a big one, nearly as big as TJ so I had to bury
him deep. I went to Smith’s to buy the pups,
some dog treats and some other groceries as well as going to Lucky’s to buy
chicken which is usually cheaper.
I
never saw Kyle Foote at all today while Adrian Villalobos came up to put some groceries
away, he had bought but after that he disappeared downstairs so I spent most of
the day alone.
When
I took some trash out to the garbage bins, Carlos Bahena was outside with his
family and said that he’s taking his family down to Mexico for about 2 weeks
and asked if I would check for their mail like I did last time. His people live
about 3 hours south of Mexico City so they will have a long drive.
He
also said that he had accidently left the garage door open the other night and
some intruder came into their house around 4 in the morning but got scared and
ran away. I guess I need to secure my house better.
I
posted my research on Henry Enoch Carter the so called General of the
Industrial Army here in Utah in1894 and started in on his daughter Glenora
Carter aka Lena Carter and Mamie Evans.
I
took a long nap in the afternoon and didn’t wake up until nearly 5 in the
afternoon in time to feed the hounds. Not sure why I am napping so long now. My
right bottom molar is getting more and more sore from the cavity and I hope I
can stand it until I have my appointment at Roseman.
Next
week I need to go down to the DMV and renew my driver’s license. It’s been 5
years already.
Kyle
and Adrian had company over in the evening, probably Adrian’s in-laws but who
knows I wasn’t invited.
When I got up at 5:30 to fix some coffee and
start breakfast I looked outside and the neighborhood was blanketed with at
least 4 inches of snow and it was still snowing. I knew that it must have
gotten really cold last night because when the pups came in from outside and
hopped back into bed, they were chilly. I had a hard night as my jaw was sore
from the cavity and I was up four- or five-times peeing. My right shoulder was
really hurting also like bursitis so I slept with a heating pad on it.
I
worked on the computer posting This Day In Gay Utah History and posting the
tragic life of Glenora Carter aka Mamie Evans on my West Second South Face Book
page and to the People of Utah site.
Kyle
Foote didn’t want Adrian Villalobos driving in the snowy conditions so he took
him to school. Around 10:30 there was a break in the weather enough for me to Shovel
my walks so I could take the pups for a walk. The snow was really wet and heavy
full of water. The state is worried about flooding if the snow pack melts too
fast.
Kyle
and Adrian came home around 11 just as I had finished shoveling and I went with
Kyle to go pay his restitution. We took my car so Adrian could use the Terrain
which is a better car in the snow. The roads were clear until we reached Lake
Point heading into Tooele then it snowed the entire time we were there. I was
glad that Kyle decided to drive rather than me just going out there by myself.
The
trip gave me a chance to catch Kyle up about the Bahena family going to Mexico
and Jim Dabakis sending me tickets to go see Hairspray at the Eccles Theater on
April 16. Jim wanted me to go but I have no interest in going so I know Kyle
will enjoy taking Adrian. We talked about going to the Texas Roadhouse for my
birthday and he wanted me to invite Alan Anderson, and T.J Otaka and Jim
McMullin also. I wasn’t planning on making it such a fuss but agreed.
Back
home I fixed a meatloaf, potatoes au gratin, and deviled eggs for supper then I
took a nap since I didn’t sleep well last night.
I thought a lot about
Bill Poore today. It's been a week since he passed and there was no funeral or
memorial service so it's kind of like he just went away. But memories are what
are important, not funerals. Rich Butler thinks I should hold a memorial for
him and Kyle asked if I had donated his paraphernalia to the Marriott Library
yet. I know they mean well but I don’t have the emotional energy to plan a
memorial which his family should have done nor am I ready to sort through the
collection that I saved.
Kyle and Adrian came up
to have some supper and Adrian kept teasing me about my birthday coming up. I
love to hear him laugh. Its infectious and joyous.
After they went down stairs,
I watch some television and looked out the bay window to see snow flurries here
by the north Jordan River in Westpointe. If you were out in it, I am sure you
would call it a blizzard. It is supposed to snow all evening and night long
well into Wednesday. I am not bitching. My house is warm. I have plenty of food
in the house and I have no place I have to be.
In the news Trump is in
New York City where he will be indicted tomorrow, finger printed and have a mug
shot.
4 April 2023 Tuesday
The snow storm must have blown horizontally
instead of vertically last night as this is the first time my covered deck and
hot tub were blanketed with snow when I looked out my bedroom door this morning.
It’s been a crazy
spring. Here it is April and there’s no daffodils, no tulips, primroses, grape
hyacinths, tree blossoms, or forsythia blooms. Trees have snow blossoms instead
of cherry blossoms. Everything is late this year.
I made Adrian Villalobos
some hard-boiled eggs for his breakfast and some pancakes for mine. When I went
to work on my computer, Ancestry.com hadn’t received my renewal, so I took a
break from doing any research.
It's been snowing all
morning nonstop and I didn’t even got out of my night shirt until 5 in the late
afternoon just watching the tube and Trump getting indicted in New York City.
All winter I never seen
the snow fall continuously as it has today. There was never been a break in the
falling snow, only a let up to flurries, but never a complete stop until around
5 in the late afternoon. The Sidewalks are buried so the pups did not get a
morning walk but by Thursday hopefully, the snow it will all be gone I am sure
of it.
Adrian came home after
school and came upstairs to fix something to eat and he zoomed and talked with
his sister for a long time. I have no
idea what they said but he was animated and joyful. I never saw Kyle Foote all day.
The pups slept most of
the day or watched the snow fall outside the bay window. But at 5 there was a
break in the snow storm so Taco insisted we go for a walk. Snow was at least 5
inches deep and I had to carry TJ for much of the way wherever the sidewalks
had not been cleared. Maxx and Lulubelle raced through the snow-covered walks from
one clear patch to another and I was pooped myself from trudging through the
snow.
I really didn’t eat
anything substantial today. Only had some tomato soup and snacked. I didn’t
feel like cooking anything but just snuggled in the lazy boy with Taco and TJ
in my lap.
I watched most of
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” which I had never seen before but heard of.
David Bowie and Tom Conti are British prisoners of war in a Japanese camp in
Java. I watched most of it but didn’t
finish it as it got too intense for the mood I was in. So instead, I watch some
old shows like Glee, The Golden Girls, and Community before calling it a night.
I hope no one has to go
out tonight. It looks really scary out with another 5 to 6 inches falling just
this evening and more is predicted overnight. Kyle’s Terrain was gone all
evening which made me a bit nervous if he was out driving in the storm but as I
was going to bed around 9:30 I heard the vehicle pull into the driveway.
I was 6 days from my
17th birthday when Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. I had
some pretty racist views 55 years ago as a kid, coming from a misguided sense
of being Southern and all the race riots that were happening in the Sixties. I
was pretty clueless and atoned by going to hear Coretta King speak at the First
Baptist Church in 1987. People can evolve and change and admit their
foolishness.
5 April 2023 Wednesday
Looks like Santa's big scene instead of the
Easter bunny this morning here by the Jordan River and the airport in SLC.
There is snow everywhere although it wasn’t snowing this morning. I fixed
Adrian Villalobos some breakfast to take off to school. He likes 3 boiled eggs
and then whatever else, sometimes rice sometimes pancakes.
I
had a phone call from Jim McMillan returning my call from yesterday and we
visited for about a half hour catching up. He and TJ Otaka will join us for
Alan Anderson and my birthdays at Texas Roadhouse. He did suggest that we make
reservations for that large of a crowd as there will be 8 of us. I later texted
Kyle to make reservations and he said he would. I hope he remembered.
About
11 the pups were dying for a walk so I put on my snow boots and took them
around the block. The snow was already getting slushy. Then back home I
shoveled my steps, and the entire side walk. The snow was really heavy from all
the water content. I didn’t do the driveway because I wasn’t going anywhere and
knew as the day progressed it would probably melt and I was right. Besides, I
have two men 20 and 40 years younger than me who should be doing it.
Kyle
stayed home working downstairs for much of the day although around 1 we went to
Exxon together to get our Dr. Pepper fix. Kyle had a call from a guy about a
pizza oven for the new job helping opening a pizza and sandwich store in South
Jordan so I didn’t see him after that for the rest of the day and just Adrian
for a bit as he brought dishes up for me to wash from downstairs before he went
off door dashing. I guess I am the mamacita cooking and doing dishes but you
serve who you love.
It got up to 40 degrees today and
much of the snow outside had started to melt and actually it was a very pretty
day with blue skies against the blanched mountains.
The
tickets that Jim Dabakis sent me for Hairspray came today via email finally and
I had a surprise text from Kimball Edwards asking how I was and that we should
get together when the weather clears. I will respond back maybe next week.
6 April 2023 Thursday
I
fixed Adrian Villalobos some boiled eggs and me some breakfast this morning. It
turned out to be a nice sunny day and only patches of snow are left on the
ground so the pups got two walks today.
After working on Warren
Foster’s research, who was a Utah Candidate for the Progressive Party in 1896
and 98, I decided I ought to go and renew my driver’s license which expires on
Monday. The office is at The Fairgrounds so it’s not far at all. It wasn’t too
bad of a deal as you filled out your application on a kiosk and then went and
had your picture taken.
You know you are old
when you don’t care what your new driver’s license picture looks like. I mean
it’s not like if I get stopped the cop is going to look at my license and ask
me out on a date.
I passed my eye
examination which I knew I would, paid
my 27 dollars, and then got my temporary license which is good until my new one
comes in the mail.
Since I was out that
way, I went to Rancho Market on North temple and 9th West. The old
parking lot to the north, where Walgreens used to be, had a four-story
apartment complex going in that dwarfs
the store. I just bought some fruit and vegetables for Adrian.
After coming back to
the house, I stayed home the rest of the day. Chuck Whyte called to visit to
see how I was doing because he was thinking of Bill Poore, and I said I was
fine. I know Bill’s illness is over now.
In the evening I heard
this weird repeating sound so investigating, Adrian was in the guest bedroom
studying his English lessons which he had fallen behind on. So, I sat with him
and helped him, using my teaching skills and teaching him how to pronounce certain
sounds in English.
When he was tired, we
quit and Kyle Foote came up around 8 to fix some supper and that was about the
only time I interacted with him. I
watched a little television but went to bed
around 10. Not an exciting day but that
is certainly okay. At least I had my driver’s license taken care of.
7 April 2023 Friday
When I checked the mail after walking the pups
there was a letter from the Third District Court in Tooele saying that Kyle
Foote hadn’t paid his restitution when I had the receipts that he had. Evidently because we paid at the end of
February for March and didn’t pay April until the 3rd, they were
claiming we didn’t pay for March, so screwed up. His lawyer is going to have to
straighten them out.
Then
when Adrian Villalobos came home from
school, he had a friend come over to help him with his Spanish. They sat at the
kitchen table while I kept the pups in the bedroom with me while I worked some
more on Warren Foster’s story. This guy I guess is the father of a friend of
his and he’s working on a book about Latin Migration and he’s written it in
Spanish and he asked if I would read his English translation for corrections. I
had him email it to me as I said I would.
I
was in the mood for something tasty so I went to Lucky’s and bought fixings for
Strawberry Shortcake I also bought a Red
Barron single size frozen Pizza and surprisingly it was tasty and just enough
to satisfy my craving for Pizza.
In
the evening I watched a Paramount Plus new show called the Rise of the Pink
Ladies as a prequel to the movie Grease. The sets and costumes were bright and
colorful and the dancing great but the lyrics to the new songs were kind of
weak in my opinion. I watched two episodes and will watch it, I think, some
more, as something to do in the evening.
The
fascists GOP in Tennessee expelled two black Democratic legislators for
protesting for Gun reform and not the white woman who did the same. The
protests stemmed from the mass shooting at a Christian school in Nashville.
8 April 2023 Saturday
I finally finished compiling the research on
Warren Foster and posted it to my history Face Book pages. I do it to preserve
my writings more than anything. I later did a quick write up of a 19th
century English Mormon Convert William Fidkin who was a volunteer fireman in
the 19th Century who lived in Block 64.
I
went to Walmart in Centerville and it was crowded as all get out with last
minute Easter shoppers. Most Mormons observe Easter egg hunts today rather than
on Sunday. I bought a pair of slip-on sneakers to wear now the weather is
warming to put on to walk the pups. I also bought them more doggie treats.
Their lives are short so why not indulge them?
I
guess Kyle Foote and Adrian Villalobos went shopping too and spent much of the
day cleaning downstairs. They brought a lot of Adrian’s winter clothes up to
store in the spare bedroom and retrieved his summer clothes.
I
made two batches of rice, one white and one yellow today but besides cooking
the pups their chicken, I didn’t take anything for Easter. I don’t feel like
cooking anything. Even if I did, probably the boys would eat it down stairs.
Besides Kyle doesn’t care for ham and that is what I usually make for Easter.
It
was nice out walking the pups, not really warm but not chilly either. There’s
just small patches of snow left where it had been piled up. Still no tulips, daffodils,
or other spring flowers. It’s the latest I have ever noticed Spring flowering.
Even the forsythia’s which always flower in March haven’t even begun to bloom.
As I approach 72 years,
I can look back and know I did some good in this old world. Teaching was the hardest and most rewarding
job I ever had. All through my teaching career though, I had to hide that I was
Gay which attributes were the very thing that made me a nurturing elementary
teacher.
I
stayed in the closet at work because I knew I could do more good as a teacher
than in any other job I had previously,
but it was very stressful especially because out of the classroom I was a Gay
Activist in Salt Lake and could have been exposed at any time and fired. Times
have changed... thank Providence and Wendy Weaver.
9 April 2023 Easter Sunday
Easter was always a big deal in my family
growing up. Not as a religious observances but as a family affair. There would
be pictures of us kids in our new Easter Clothes, Easter baskets, Easter egg
hunts with all the cousins, and extended family picnics at various parks in
Southern California. I especially remember Hill Crest Park in Fullerton and
rolling down the hill with my cousins. It was a time to see and be with all my aunts
and uncles on my Williams' side of the family, all who are gone now with very
few cousins even left now.
I rarely associated the day as having any
religious meaning although my family were staunch Church of Christ members. We
never went to church on Easter. That seemed too Catholic somehow.
Family was always more
important to my Grandma Williams than any dogma that might keep any of her
family away. We never talked about
religion or politics at family gatherings. Sports and work was safe topics for
the men and among the women food and their kids. While my boy cousins played or watched sports
I always hung out with my mom and aunts because that was where the food and
gossip was. Little Junior was a peculiar child.
It was a quiet day here
on Fernleaf. I walked the pups twice, went and got a Dr. Pepper with Kyle
Foote, saw Adrian Villalobos for a bit but they stayed down stairs most of the
day together.
I was listening to
Jesus Christ Superstar which I like to do on Easter. I first bought the album
in 1971 and it kind of changed my life. I had surprise visit from Roy Zang and
his Chinese Husband, Tony. We had a nice visit, gossiping and catching up. Roy
is now an apartment manager of the new apartment building located on the north
east corner of 6th West and 2nd South in Lot Four of City
Block 64 right across the street from where the In Between used to be.
We dished on Rocky O’Donovan which is always
fun recalling what a free loader he is and desperate to be relevant. Roy’s
mother is in the Senior living community down on 10th North and
Redwood Road so when in the neighborhood he comes sees me.
He said that he thinks
there has been a complete turnover of directorship of the center since Robert
Moolman was ousted. I said I don’t keep up with their shenanigans anymore
because the center is just not relevant to me anymore and if the Gay Men’s
support group was not meeting there I would probably never go back again.
After they left, I fed
the pups and watched some television by myself. This guy from the Salt Lake
City Weekly, Wes Long wants to meet with me this coming Thursday at the Rose
Park library to pick my brain about MCC in the 70’s and some kid from Eric
Peterson’s U of U investigation class wants to video tape me on some
history. I guess I have lived long
enough to be the keeper of ancient history.
This is the last day I
will ever be 71. I did call my sister Donna down in Bullfrog Arizona. Nothing is
new there except my grandniece Dee Jones who will graduate this year from high
school. Grandmas sit in chairs and
reminisce and the Beat Goes On.
10 April 2023 Monday
72 years ago, I was born in a little co-opt
hospital in Amherst, Texas. My folks were farming about 20 miles south of Olton
where they were married in 1946. I was born in Lamb County because I am such a
little lamb.
I
fixed Adrian Villalobos some breakfast to take to school and he gave me a
long deep embrace saying happy birthday
to me and that he loves me. What more does an old man need?
It
was a pretty day and reached over 75 degrees. In fact, it was nice enough
outside for me to clean out some of the flower bed this morning, mostly leaves
from over the winter.
I
started having many birthday wishes from Face Book friends and worked a bit on
the computer. Michael Romero came over at 2:30 with Coco to drop off and we
went with Adrian and Kyle Foote in his Terrain although he wanted me to drive
as he was expecting a call at 2:30 about work.
So, I had a nice
birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse on 47th South off of Redwood with good friends who are more like family.
Because it's Alan Anderson's birthday too we celebrate together when we can.
T.J. Otaka and McMillan joined Alan and Kyle G. Daniels along with Mike, Kyle,
and Adrian. Of course, I didn't eat much but the company is why you go out. I
just ordered some potato skins and filled up on bread. I think everyone else
had steak and had a good time. We stayed for almost two hours and when we left TJ
and Jim even gave me some beautiful flowers and jelly beans.
So, I had a very nice
72nd birthday and in the evening, Kyle came up and visited a bit
while Adrian was out driving for door dash. He wanted me to know that he had
called his lawyer about the notice he received last week that the court hadn’t
received a payment in March which we had and was told not to worry about it. He
told me a little bit of his working as a restaurant consultant which is his
latest gig. He wanted to know if I had a nice birthday and it was his way of
showing that he cares for me even if our relationship has its ups and downs.
I been noticing that
Deb Hall’s Seniors Out And Proud [SOAP] group is expanding into St. George and
they are having several events at Club Verse. I have nothing against Club Verse
at all but I am reluctant to go to any function there after they had let Kyle
go. I wish them well, however.
I am meeting with a man
this Thursday at Rose Park Library to share what I know about MCC in the 70’s
and some student from Eric Peterson’s Investigation class wants to interview me
also. So, I guess they want as much as they can before I kick the bucket.
My dentist appointment
at Roseman is on Wednesday.
11 April 2023 Tuesday
I was up late today, nearly 6:30 and fixed
myself and Adrian Villalobos some breakfast. He takes his as he runs off to
school. After doing my computer gig, posting this Day in Gay Utah History,
writing in my journal, posting on my West Second South site and to the People
of Utah site, I decided to walk the pups and do some yard work.
I
first went to Sutherlands to maybe get some spring plants but they had hardly
anything just some pitiful looking wilted pansies and primroses. I was also
going to get some mice traps but they only had two checkouts open with about 10
people in both lines so I just left. There was nothing I needed that much to
wait in line. So, I just left and went to Lucky’s to buy groceries and I also
bought me a cake since I didn’t get one yesterday. What is a birthday without a
cake?
I then came home to work
in my front yard, cleaning out flower beds and shoveling and leveling piles of
soil that Kyle Foote and Adrian had dug out of the area where my tree use to be
between me and my neighbor and had just dumped. Two hours about done me in. I ain’t
a spring chicken anymore and the work about done me in.
I had bought some white
fish also while at the store which I fried up for Adrian’s lunch and then took
a long nap in the lazy boy. I must have been really tired as I slept for almost
2 hours. At 5 I groggily walked the pups, had a bite to eat before heading out
to the Gay Men’s support group that meets at 6:30.
I also texted Kimball
Edwards hoping he didn’t want to meet tonight because I was not feeling up to
it and we postponed it until tomorrow night. The meeting was really pretty
lively perhaps 12 to 15 men there. It didn’t matter what the topic was because
we usually become very eclectic. I sat next to Dwight Wood tonight and we are
usually bad boys together. One of the topics that this cute young man wanted to
know about was the sex phone lines we older Gays used.
I came home around 8:30
posted the story of John McKeever a man who once lived where the Mexican Civic
Center is today before going to bed
around 11.
It was a gorgeous day
in the mid-80s but another storm is expected by Thursday, mostly rain.
12 April 2023 Wednesday
I woke up having the strangest dreams lately
like I am observing other people’s actions instead of me being in them. When I
finally woke up, I was kind of groggy, I had a pain in my chest hoping I wasn’t
having a heart attack. Not that I was fearful for myself but worried about my
pups. I think I may have just been gassy as I belched a lot. It’s always
something.
The
pain eventually went away and I made Adrian Villalobos and Adrian Villalobos
some breakfast. Kyle Foote has been
leaving early to go to Lehi to take this class on cooking. He has to take for
his work and is gone by 7:30. Adrian fell back to sleep and missed going to
school. I didn’t know it until I saw him around 9:30 when I had to start
getting ready for my appointment at Roseman.
My Blood Pressure was
147 at home but down there it was over 175. After letting me sit for a while it
was down in the 150’s good enough for them to see me. They just did a
periodontal check up with X-Rays to day. I had a guy named Jordy who was
assigned to me. I asked him if he was going to stick around and because last
times, I was here they kept switching teams around. He said he was so I hope
so.
Anyway, I didn’t get my
cavity taking care of just that X rays showed I had two on my bottom molars,
below some caps. I decided just to have them pulled instead of trying to save them,
which they might not be able to do anyway. Down the road I may have to have
partial dentures. But I made it to 72 so far. I made an appointment for April
26 for a cleaning and then after that I will have the extractions. Ouch.
Afterwards
I went to Lucky’s and withdrew $300 for Adrian. He said he was short this week
from Door Dash and needed to pay his mom and some other bills and he’d pay me
back on Monday. I just gave him the money. I love him and the money won’t do me
any good when I’m dead like Bill Poore.
Besides, I gave Kyle 10 times that amount paying his restitution in
February and March.
It
was a nice day but windy ahead of a storm. I started gathering information on
MCC for my appointment tomorrow for the rest of the evening and tried to take a
nap in the late afternoon but didn’t really sleep any because Kyle came home. I
had my date with Kimball Edwards at 9 so I wanted to rest some but didn’t.
I
watched some television in the evening after feeding the pups and having walked
them twice because it was so nice out. Then I got really tired around 8 and
almost canceled my date until I saw that Kimball texted me and asked if I was
still coming over so I did. How can I turn down a 25 year old boy wanting to be
with me at my age?
So,
at his place I could tell he was happy to see me and we got naked and into bed.
We visited and talked for a while. He wished me a happy birthday. While
visiting He revealed that he has met
other older old guys on Grindr that he went to Club Milk with and another who
comes over who only has sex and leaves. He doesn’t cuddle and caress Kimball
like I do, which I know why he enjoys me. I wasn’t jealous and told him that
variety was the spice of life.
I had known it was an
illusion that Kimball was going to be a boyfriend. He’s just a sweet man who is
a lover occasionally and I don’t know if I really want more than that. I’d say he
was a fuck buddy but we never fuck. We usually do what I did for him tonight
and suck on him until he ‘cums’ and then relaxes. I also always give him a good
massage and hold and kiss him, which I know he really wants and needs. Well so
do I. He lets me nibble on his erogenous
zones which he loves which I love because I am so oral.
Around
11 I left. I usually leave after two hours because he gets sleepy and I do too
and I have to drive home.
Tomorrow is going to be
busy as I am meeting someone from City Weekly at 1 and at 5, I need to be up at
the U of U to be interviewed for Eric
Peterson’s students.
13 April 2023 Thursday
Snowing quite a bit his morning here between
the airport and the Jordan River. They
said it might rain but did not predict snow in the valley so that was a surprise. The temperature really dropped
also as it was only in the 40’s today.
I
worked most of the morning compiling information on MCC to give to Wes Long who
I met at 1 at the Rose Park library. He was a young man I’d say in his late
20’s, handsome, and a journalist for the City Weekly who is doing a story on
MCC in SLC. We visited for about 2 hours and it was so easy talking to him as
he was also a history major. I talked about Bruce Barton and Bob Waldrop a lot
and the ebb and flow of MCC in Salt Lake.
Then at 5, I went up to
the U of U to be videotaped and interviewed by some journalist students in Eric
Peterson’s Investigation class about Gay SLC in the 70s and 80s. It’s such a
pain to cross town to get up to the University from Rose Park but worth it if I
can help out at all. It was energetic being around the young college students
who treated me like a treasure.
Well, I was home by 6,
fed the pups, watched some television, and then went to bed as I was really
tired. Actually, I fell asleep in the lazy boy.
In the news they caught
the person who leaked all the Pentagon military documents. It turned out to be
a 21 year old national guard kid who had national security clearance who just
shared them to impress these teenage gaming boys. Strange. Wasn’t a big
espionage case at all, just some stupid kid who will probably now spend 20
years in prison.
14 April 2023 Friday
I was rather lethargic today, not having much
interest in anything after having such a busy day yesterday. Today was really
low key and I only left the house to walk the pups.
It was another cooler day only in the 40’s. I
didn’t seen either Adrian Villalobos or Kyle Foote today except briefly when Kyle
came home and asked if I knew where Adrian was.
I didn’t. I mainly
worked on researching an early Utah newspaper man named Norman McLeod who lived
in the Rio Grande Area of Second South. I think his second wife was a lesbian
but that just speculation as that she only married older men who when the last
one died, she never remarried and she was a professor at Missouri, Montana and
is only mentioned in the company of women. Oh Well.
Parts
of Salt Lake City are being sandbagged in order to stem the snow melt flowing
into the city’s creeks.
15 April 2023 Saturday
The only energy I had today was the go shopping
and rearrange the kitchen. I went to Lucky’s to buy chicken for the pups and
groceries for Adrian Villalobos. He’s part of my family now so I want to feed
him. I also made a kettle of black beans and some yellow rice. I always need to
have them in the house as those are the main staples of his diet. When He came
home from the gym, he fixed some breaded fish I had out for him. I made me a
cheese hamburger for my lunch. Actually
two, because I had another one for my supper also.
After
he left to go to work, I cleaned the kitchen wiping counters of mice droppings
and putting out more bay leaves that I read would repel mice. I also went
through the cupboards to get rid of dishes that I don’t use anymore to give to
D.I.
That
about wore me out so I quit and worked a little bit on writing up a locomotive
engineer named Henry Newcomer who lived in Block 63 for at least 20 years.
It
was a nice day out and I walked the pups twice. It still was cool out but not
frigid. People’s lawns are starting to green up and a few trees have started to
bud. I haven’t seen any real spring flowers. Everything is so late this year. I
have never seen anything like it. No daffodils, tulips, or grape hyacinth, and
my forsythia is just beginning to bloom which usually would have been 2 weeks
ago. I want to do some more yard clean up but still kind of chilly out to stay
outside too long.
In
the evening when Kyle Foote came home, he came upstairs to tell me about his
day and that he may be getting an additional consulting job with the brother of
the woman he is doing a Pizza shop for. This man runs several Mexican restaurants
called Mi Ranchito owned by the Armenta
family.
He then asked if I’d go
with him to Smith’s to buy some flowers for Adrian. He met him on November 15th
so this is kind of an anniversary for them. Kyle bought some pink tinged yellow
roses and arranged them back at the house. Kyle said that at the end of the
month he has to fly to Denver to learn how to operate the oven he is having the
Pizza place purchase. He will also be going to Las Vegas again and also to
Dallas. I think he found a niche that is making him happy.
When
Adrian came home, he came up for some supper of stewed chicken and yellow rice.
He was clinging on to Kyle which made me happy to see. I just wanted us to be a
family.
16 April 2023 Sunday
The Bahena family from next door came home from
Mexico and I brought over their mail and packages this morning.
I didn’t see Kyle Foote
and Adrian Villalobos but once when they came up stairs shortly before leaving
for the Eccles Theater to see Hairspray using the tickets that Jim had given to
me.
It was a beautiful day and
finally I felt energetic enough to work out in the front yard. So, I cleaned
out some more leaves from the iris flower beds along the side of the porch
steps and in front of the porch. I then decided to mulch them instead of putting
them in the debris waste bin.
Well, that meant I had
to spade my 10 x 10 feet garden space where I decided to plant my vegetable
garden near the blue spruce and retaining wall on the south side of my yard.
This also meant I had to rake it and pull grass. I wish I had my old rotor
tiller that Kyle got rid of which would have made it so much easier. That was a lot of work for an old man turn
the dirt over.
After I was finished
with that I went and leveled these
mounds of dirt piles that Adrian and Kyle had dumped where my tulip beds used
to be. Many of my tulips were coming up so I didn’t want them getting crushed.
I was happy to see that some of oriental poppies were coming back and before I
knew it, I had been outside for 3 1/2
hours.
This winter has been harsh
with the freeze thaw cycle which broke a
few of my ceramic planters and I think the heavy snow killed my large rosemary
bush that I had for 10 years. Everything in its season.
I was really pooped but managed to give the
pups a second walk before calling it a day and resting after feeding the gang.
Kyle and Adrian were home by 5:30 but never came up to see me and tell me how
they enjoyed the show or didn’t. I saw the performance with Alan Anderson and
Kyle down last year in Draper, which I thought was great.
The Salt Lake Tribune
had a front page story on Drag Queens in Utah and among the photos was Courtney
Moser aka Petunia Papsmear. The state legislature is considering banning minors
from attending drag shows.
17 April 2023 Monday
I fixed Adrian Villalobos scrambled eggs for
him to take to school then spent much of the morning researching the Priday
family whose daughter shot her first husband. I also went to Lucky’s to buy
some more boneless chicken thighs.
After Adrian came home
from the gym, I fixed him the rest of the lasagna I bought the other day and I
had a cheese burger. I have been in the mood for hamburgers lately.
After
he left on an errand, I stopped what I was doing in the house and went outside
to work in the yard some. I raked out all the leaves and debris along the drive
way where my mungo bush is. It’s the last of all the ones I planted back in
1996 and its grown quite large and has spread out. I dumped the mulch into
where my garden area will be and hoed, to break up some of the clods.
Finally,
some of my daffodils are blooming and some spring hyacinths. My one forsythia
left, in front of my steps, is blooming also. All of these plants are at least
2 weeks late. Even the trees haven’t begun to bud.
I
was tired after working about two hours in the front yard. That is about all I
can do these days. I’ve given up on the backyard that is like a moon scape
except some weeds have taken root. I used to have a lovely yard but doubt if I
ever will again.
In
the evening I watched some television after feeding and walking the dogs. They
didn’t care much for the chicken and rice I made for them. Oh well they will eat when they are hungry.
I
breaded some pork chops and fried it up for Adrian’s supper. We visited some on
our Say Hi app and he asked about Mike Romero and me and I told him how I have
always been the home maker even when I lived alone. Where ever I have lived, I
had tried to make it feel homey.
I
watched “Charlie Wilson’s War” with Tom Hanks in it that I had never seen
before which was pretty good about ending the Russian invasion of Afghanistan
in the 1980s as a covert operation.
Kyle
Foote finally came up around 8 when he came home and we visited about some of
his prospects. He needed $600 to buy a plane ticket to Chicago for some
National Restaurant Association Convention in May. He first said he needed to
attend an NRA convention and quickly had to clarify it wasn’t the National
Rifle Association. I used to say “borrow” but I rarely get paid back so I just
give it to him if I can. I gave $300 to Adrian earlier this month and the state
took $800 from me in Taxes and I paid nearly $300 to renew my subscription to
Ancestry.com so it’s been an expensive month.
I use ancestry.com nearly every day so it’s worth the expense. Besides,
I often think of Bill Poore and how money has no use to him anymore.
18 April 2023 Tuesday
I fixed Adrian Villalobos his breakfast to take
to school and some for me before working on the computer this morning. I was
surprised to hear it thundering and lightning as well as raining this
morning with booms to shake the entire
house. The pups were not happy because Taco wanted to go on a walk.
I
was going to do a bunch of running around to do some errands but the weather
kept me home. So, I cleaned the front room, did some of the dishes and mopped
the floor. I also did some laundry, just housekeeping chores. Around noon there was a break in the weather
enough to take the pups for a jaunt around the block. Lulubelle must have been
weirded out by the weather as she was in a hurry to get the walk over and back
to the house.
Then Lightning struck
not far from the airport and it lit up the house. I pity the animals and folks
caught in the storm. It was kind of hailing also. I had all the trembling pups
under covers in the bed.
When
Adrian came home from the gym, we visited a bit while he fixed himself some
lunch and then we were hit by a hailstorm this afternoon. I was glad the pups
and I had finished a walk around the block earlier. The little time I had the
door open to film the storm to put on Facebook my kitchen floor got pelted with
hail. The whole yard and street turned white from the hail. However, by the late afternoon it had cleared
up and all the hail stones had melted away. I took the pups for another quick
walk around 5 in the late afternoon and then fed them so I could get ready to
go to the Gay Men’s support group.
I
made the mistake of taking the 13th South exit from the freeway and
was caught in a horrible traffic congestion as that 13th and 3rd
West were all down to one lane and lights not being synchronized had people out
in the intersection so when the lights were green you couldn’t get through the
intersection. It was so frustrating to go the 4 blocks to Main Street, taking
15 minutes and sitting through many green lights because you couldn’t move.
I
had left the house at 6 thinking I had plenty of time to get to the Pride
Center by 6:30 but I barely made it. I think Bill Blevins was a little
disappointed that there weren’t all that many here tonight, maybe 10. The topic
was “masculinity” and we had a pretty good discussion among those who attended
as we opened up and shared more personal things about our lives as Gay men.
I
was home by 8:30 and watched some episodes of Frazier, The Golden Girls, and
Community before falling asleep in the lazy boy. I woke up around midnight
and turned off all the lights and went
to bed.
In
the news Fox News settled out of court a lawsuit by Dominion voting machines
for $800 million because they didn’t want to put their actors and management on
trial.
19 April 2023 Wednesday
It was another cold day and only reached into
the 40’s. I fixed Adrian Villalobos an omelet with hash browns and diced ham
for his breakfast. Just because I don’t eat much anymore doesn’t mean I don’t
like to mother him.
My forsythia bush
out-front is finally blooming three weeks late. It usually starts to bud at the
end of March. My daffodils and hyacinths are flowering just too but no tulips
or grape hyacinths. It’s a very late spring. Fortunately, the hail yesterday
didn't crush anything. I wonder if we
will be able to even plant tomatoes by Mother's Day this year. The fairy in me has to have a garden. God
created a garden before he created people so said the ancient Mesopotamians.
I took a bunch of
clothes and dishes to D.I. this morning then went to Western Gardens on 6th
East to get a rose bush to remember Bill Poore by, as he always brought me
flowers. They had but a poor selection
so I went to the Garden Center at Smith’s market place and bought a Mr. Lincoln
red rose for Bill Poore. I then went to
Sutherland’s to see what they had in the way of spring flowers and bought some
pansies for me and mouse traps.
Sutherlands also had their tomato plants on sale again for $2.50 so I
bought two. It is way too early to plant them so I will have to set them out
and bring them in at night.
I planted the rose bush
in the front yard in one of my planter boxes and the pansies in containers on
the front porch by my door.
I took a very long nap
this afternoon nearly 3 hours. I don’t know why I slept so much but then got up
around 5, took the pups on another walk around the clock and then fed them
their supper. I had a hamburger for my lunch so didn’t feel like eating this
evening.
The only time I saw
Kyle Foote was in the evening when he asked where I bought the Lasagna that
Adrian ate the other day because Adrian really liked it. So, I took him to
Lucky’s and showed him and bought a few groceries also. Kyle has to go down to
Santaquin tomorrow to meet with a potential client.
When Adrian came home
from work, he and Kyle were in the kitchen smooching and microwaving Adrian’s
supper and I just watched some television in the lazy boy. I stayed up until
nearly midnight before heading for bed.
20 April 2023 Thursday
Another really cold day for April especially
with the wind chill while walking the pups. I fixed Adrian Villalobos his
breakfast to take to school and worked some on the computer but needed to take
a break from the research I was doing. I went to Lucky’s to buy some red bell peppers
as that Kyle Foote asked me to make some stuffed bell peppers. I also made a pot of lima beans and ham as
that sounded good on this cold day.
Then I was home for
much of the afternoon and just watched some television shows like the Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel and other shows. I think I might be lethargic from a virus or
something as in the evening I had stomach cramps and diarrhea. As I was getting ready to go to bed heard
Kyle and Adrian use the hot tub. I suppose I should check on the water levels.
Can’t think of much to write about that I want to remember.
21 April 2023 Friday
I didn’t realize that Adrian Villalobos had
school on Friday so when I was fixing my own breakfast he came upstairs and I
threw a breakfast of three scrambled eggs, frozen waffles, and fruit together
for him. I know he could have made his own breakfast but it makes me feel
useful and I enjoy his hugs in the morning. So many old Gay men live alone
without someone to care for and be cared about.
After
working at my morning computer routine, I took the pups for a morning walk on
another chilly springtime day. Still, it’s been only in the 40’s for a high.
Then I made some stuffed red and yellow bell peppers for Kyle and a pan of
lasagna for Adrian. Kyle and I went to get our Dr. Peppers and I took a nap and woke to hear it raining
outside. So, the pups didn’t get a second walk as it rained much into the
evening.
Lulubelle
is not feeling well again and threw up. She also didn’t eat any supper before
going to bed. In fact, around 9:30 while I was watching TV she kept coming into
the front room and then running back to the bedroom as if she wanted me to go
to bed so I did. She seemed to nestle in then
In the news the Supreme
Court temporarily allowed the use of the abortion pill and Florida is passing
many anti-Gay and trans bills. No one seems to be fighting them.
22 April 2023 Saturday
Another chilly day but the pups got in their
two walks. I went with Kyle Foote and Adrian Villalobos to get a drink around
noon but was the only time I went anywhere.
I finally finished and posted the life of Henry J Rudy on my Facebook
pages. The Salt Lake Marathon was held today but since I didn’t have to go
anywhere downtown it didn’t impact me at all.
I
would like to work in the front yard some but don’t have the energy to bother
with the weather.
Florida’s
DeSantis came to Utah for the Republican Party here. He said, “Florida is the
Utah of the Southeast.”
23 April 2023 Sunday
I really didn’t do much today except work on
the Swedish Sandberg Family and walk the pups. Kyle Foote said Adrian
Villalobos brother in law came over to look at the work truck and see how much
it would cost to fix it since the catalytical converter was stolen some time ago
and it’s just been sitting on the concrete pad to the south of the backyard.
Kyle
asked if I wanted to go with him and Adrian to the state capitol to look at the
cherry blossoms that were in full bloom. I went just to be with them.
It
was very crowded with lots of people walking the promenade and there was a
group of Armenians, probably around 100, with their flags, holding a rally for
Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
Kyle
really wanted to be at the capitol just to take many pictures of Adrian and him
posing. They were so cute but they weren’t the only ones taking pictures. Lots
of graduates and others were using the occasion for their photos. We were up at
the capitol at 7 because Kyle said that was the best time for lighting. I had a
few pictures taken with them too and I could tell I was tired and looked
old. We walked around and it was truly
nice being out but it was getting chilly as the sun was going down.
After
we left, we went to McDonald’s on 7th North because Adrian was
hungry so I also ordered a happy meal because I hadn’t eaten much all day. They
finished off the lasagna for their lunch.
24 April 2023 Monday
It’s almost the end of April and still no
tulips and the neighborhood trees are just beginning to bud out. I was up early
around 5 this morning and fixed myself and Adrian Villalobos some breakfast but
he had a text saying his teacher canceled class today so he went out working
instead.
I finally finished my
research on the Sandberg Swedes from the 19th Century SLC and posted
it before taking the pups for a walk this morning. It was a pretty morning,
bright and sunshiny.
I
then went to both Smith’s and Lucky’s to get some treats for the pups and
groceries for the house. I only saw Kyle Foote once when he came to the house
to retrieve an extension cord and some string for some project.
Then this afternoon the
house was a rocking and a rolling with a storm that blew in with thunder and
lightning. The pups were really frightened. It rained again in the late
afternoon so pups only got a morning walk. I made a pork loin roast with
taters, apples, carrots, and red bell peppers for supper. I wonder if I will
eat any of it. When Adrian came home at night,
he had some but Kyle didn’t at all.
I relaxed watching the
news and my favorite comedy shows and the apocalyptic “Don’t Look Up” kind of
spoof of the end of the world, before heading to bed.
The biggest news item
today was that Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News. It kind of overshadowed
that news that Don Lemon was also fired from CNN.
Locally Roy Zang said
he quit the “Parasol Patrol” group that he had recently been promoting. I
wonder what that is all about. He later
wrote me and said, “Long story short, Andy Dalrymple and I spend days promoting
the Utah chapter of the Parasol Patrol. We were going to go to an event on
Sunday. We invited hundreds of people and had hundreds of people accept the invitation. With that being said, there
is a trans man who is the admin on the chat channel that we were in and he
decided that he was going to spend 3 to 4 hours, scrubbing through all of our invitees,
and deciding if they should be part of us. He only approved women and trans
people and dismissed every single other person that we had invited and we were
talking over 200 people. When I asked about it, at least for me, because I
asked him directly, he told me "quit attacking me"
25 April 2023 Tuesday
It was chilly but nice out this morning when I
walked the pups after fixing breakfast for Adrian Villalobos and myself.
However later around noon it began to rain again and misted for most of the
afternoon.
For
lunch Kyle Foote asked me to go with him and Adrian Villalobos . They went to
Barbacoa in the 9th and 9th area but I didn’t eat as I
had fixed myself some tacos earlier. I just went for the company.
Adrian
was so sad because Kyle is leaving for Dallas and won’t be back until Friday.
They spent a lot of time together downstairs later when I went out to walk the
pups again when there was a break in the rain.
I
never got to take a nap because I had to go with Kyle and Adrian to the airport
around 4 so Kyle could catch his flight. Kyle did ask me to take Adrian to the
West Valley campus of SLCC tomorrow to register him for ESL classes.
After
feeding the pups I was tired from no nap but decided to go to the Gay Men’s
group anyway because I needed the social interaction of Gay men. I sat next to
Paul Milne this time and much of the discussion was on different types of Gay
relationships. It was a good meeting and I am starting to get to know some of
the regulars and interact With them.
When
I came back to the house, I just watched a bit of television before heading to
bed.
26 April 2023 Wednesday
I made Adrian Villalobos some breakfast but he
didn’t get up to go to school so he had it later. I had to be down to Roseman
Dental School by 10:30 for a cleaning. I had a new crew working on me although
I was told I would have the same one as last time. Oh Well. They did a fine job
and my insurance paid for it so I can’t kick. I made an appointment for May 15th
to have my two teeth extracted. It will be a two hour procedure ugh.
When
I came home, I notice that the plastic cover beneath the FIT had come loose
again and was dragging. The car sits too low for me to crawl beneath it or I
would just take it off. Another thing
for Kyle Foote to look at when he comes home.
Adrian
was out when I came home so texted him and said I was home and for him to come
home so we could go register him for summer classes at SLCC. When he did, I
drove Adrian in Kyle’s car out to 54th West and 35th
South to the West Valley Campus where they were doing a special all day
registration. I went mostly to translate where I could and help but I had no idea how much Kyle had already
did on line.
Anyway, we met with a
counselor and although he spoke no Spanish, we were able to get him partially
registered and I paid $500 for his classes so we could finish registering. He's
taking three classes Speaking, Listening, and Grammar Monday through Thursday.
A Spanish speaker woman assisted us with the rest of the actual
registration so by 4 o’clock we were
done. We were down there for at least 2 and half hours but it’s done and I
saved his SLCC student number and password in case he loses it.
It’s
been a very long time since I had to register myself or anyone else in college
but as registration goes, it wasn’t too difficult. I hadn’t planned on paying
Adrian’s tuition but since Kyle hadn’t and we had to before we could finish up,
I went ahead and paid. It’s been an expensive month for me between the boys, as
I gave Adrian $300 at the beginning of the month and just paid $500 today and
Kyle had me buy his plane ticket to Dallas for $600.
Well, the money just
sitting in my savings doesn’t do anyone any good there. I could be just living
all alone with money in the bank or have these boys here to love on. They are my family and family looks out for
one another.
When I called Kyle to
let him know how things went, I also told him about the FIT and he said
Adrian’s brother in law is coming over this weekend to look at the work truck
and he will have him look at my car too. I hope.
President
Biden made an announcement yesterday that he will run for office again in 2024.
Makes no difference to me and I will vote for him unless his health fails.
Trump’s rape trial is going on now and none of it is making very much news.
27 April 2023 Thursday
It was a very mild spring like day in the lower
70’s so it was nice out walking the pups. Adrian didn’t go to his English
classes today. I think he is done with them since he knows he has to quit
Horizontal to attend SLCC. I was on the computer much of the day writing up the
story of Ed Sandberg, a bad boy hack driver from the turn of the 20th
Century. So, I could post it on Face Book.
I didn’t really interact much with Adrian as he was in in his own world
for much of the day. Except to go walking I never left the house today.
In
the news Mike Pence had to testify before a Grand Jury today against Trump and
the infamous Jerry Springer daytime shock television personality died at
79. People would watch for chairs and
punches thrown.
28 April 2023 Friday
Kyle called me this morning asking if I had
lint roller and if not, would I go to the store and buy him one. His only black
sweater that he wanted to wear to his Mission President’s funeral was covered
with Persephone’s cat hair. So, I got
dressed and went down to Smith’s at 7:30 this morning, bought one, and returned
to make Adrian Villalobos some breakfast which again he never got up to eat. I
went downstairs at 9:00 to wake him up saying he needed to get ready just in
case Kyle’s plane landed early before 10 as that Kyle needed to rush home and
change for the funeral at 11.
Kyle
called about 9:30 and said his plane had landed so a little bit later I drove
Adrian down to the airport and picked Kyle up at a little before 10. Adrian was
so happy to see him again. I let Kyle drive home and then I went back to my
computer while they left to attend the funeral.
I wrote up the story of
the two interracial couples who were caught by the police in 1893 at the Albany
Hotel and charged with fornication. I
posted it to the People of Utah history site then decided to go to Sutherlands.
Sutherland had their large geraniums
on sale for $4 so I bought 4 plus other flowers to spruce up the front yard. I’d
rather have flowers when I am alive than when I am dead.
I have looked all over
for my hand spades and can’t find them anywhere so I dug the moist soil mostly
by hand. I also bought a green bell pepper plant and a red one too. That pretty
wore me out. While I was out Jim Dabakis called but I missed it. His message
said he was leaving Paris and was just wanting to check in with me and see how
Taco was doing.
Adrian
went with Kyle to the funeral and later door dashing. When he came home in the
afternoon, he said he saw a lot of squirrels in the back yard and thought they
were dangerous because of their claws. I laughed and said no, squirrels are not
dangerous, a nuisance at times, but mostly harmless except how they can chew up
property. He must have had a sheltered life as Kyle said he’s deathly afraid of
birds.
Anyway,
I watched television after feeding the pups and finished watching
“Transatlantic” the series about the efforts at saving intellectual and
artistic Jews from Free France during the 1940 Nazi occupation. It was
interesting but some of the dramatization was slow. Then I started to watch an
episode of “The Diplomat” also on Netflix about a female American ambassador to
the United Kingdom. It was entertaining so I might watch the series.
Kyle
came up before I went to bed to tell me a little about the David Finn Peterson’s
funeral and how much he hates Mormon funerals but went out of respect to his
former Mission President and widow. He has to pay his restitution for May this
weekend so I hope he has it.
29 April 2023 Saturday
After
fixing breakfast, working a little on the computer, and walking the pups I went
out to work in the front yard garden. On the south corner near the blue spruce,
I dug several rows and built mounds to plant zucchini and summer squash seeds
and I put the bell pepper plants and Tomatoes plants in the soil. I then did
some raking and cleaning out weeds when Kyle Foote and Adrian Villalobos came
home.
Adrian
was telling me that fish was one of his favorite meals and asked me if stores
sold coconuts here. I told them they did and he said he wanted to make a rice
dish with fresh coconut. He made himself
a Columbia chicken dish he likes for his lunch and since I had to go to the
store to get food for the pups anyway, while there I bought him a coconut. I
spent nearly $75 on groceries buying food for Adrian and the pups. At Lucky’s there was a young street woman
huddled by the front with two small pups. She looked a mess and probably
homeless and on drugs but when I left, I gave her $20 for her and her pups. She
may spend it on drugs rather than food but I didn’t give to be her judge.
Anyway, Kyle Foote was
gone buying outdoor seating tables for Loco Burger on 17th and while
out I had him buy me some hand spades as I can’t find any of mine. When he came
home with them, I asked if he would set the spring snap mouse traps because
when I did, they kept snapping. I noticed mouse droppings under the lazy
boys and after cleaning and setting the
trap there almost immediately it caught one. I feel so guilty. Kyle said that
when I hear the snaps on the ones he set don’t look right away as I might still
see them struggling and he knows how tender hearted I am about killing the mice
and how guilty I feel. He disposed of the mouse for me.
When Kyle and Adrian
came up to see me this evening, Adrian had his acceptance letter to Salt Lake
Community College and was just jubilant. Adrian was also so excited that I had
bought him a coconut and a plantain banana that he cooked his coconut rice and
fried plantain along with the fish I had breaded for him with his spices
earlier for him while he was out door dashing.
He posted on his
Facebook page his meal and he was so cute sharing it with his Latin friends. He
said that the food was nostalgic for him because his grandmother used to make
it for him. Well, he had sent me a text message
earlier calling me his beautiful grandfather. That was touching. How lucky am I
to have people to care for at my age?
Fran Pruyn contacted me
for Walt Larabee info so he could vote for the Kristen Ries Award nominations.
She sent me this that I passed on Face Book for friends of Walter.
"I just talked
with Walter – he sounded really good. He
is going into the hospital in mid-May for a stem cell transplant to address his
cancer, but it has worked in the past, and he is optimistic that it will knock
it out for good."
Walt doesn’t do social media but I know his
friends would like to hear about him and how he is doing. I also posted a
picture. “This is Walt at Beyond Stonewall a Gay summer workshop retreat at
Camp Rogers in 1989...he’s on David Estes’s lap and next to him Val Mansfield
and standing next to me is Neil Hoyt and I was in my Sacred Faerie stage lol.”
30 April 2023 Sunday
Well, here it is the end of another April. The
weather was the warmest it’s been all year so far in the mid 80’s. Adrian
Villalobos and Kyle Foote did their usual Sunday brunch at Our Kitchen in
Foxborough and came home when I was out walking the pups.
Since
Adrian has been using the back deck a lot lately, I thought I ought to clean up
the messes the pups have made because they are too lazy to go down in to the
yard. I swept, scrubbed with bleach water, and made it presentable.
Kyle
wanted to get a Dr. Pepper so we did and Adrian had a happy meal and sundae
from McDonalds. He’s gloomy again because Kyle was leaving for Las Vegas again.
Around 4, Kyle came up
to talk to me. I know sometimes he gets irritated with me but still I am the
closest thing he has to family. Anyway, he told me seriously how he is
considering marrying Adrian as they had been together for nearly 6 months and
that he loves him and it will help secure Adrian from ever being deported. It
didn’t surprise me at all and I think it is the right thing to do and I asked
if Adrian knows all the baggage you carry and Kyle said he did. Kyle said he
doesn’t want anyone to know them getting married and that they probably will
just get a secular marriage. He also did say that he probably will take
Adrian’s last name as “Foote” carries so much baggage.
I
asked Kyle if he paid his restitution for May yet and he hadn’t but said that
the link so he can pay on line is working. He sent me $400 a week ago and said
he would send me another $600 so I agreed to front the $1800 again although I
said he needed to make sure he has $1800 put away each month before anything
else. I doubt whether he will.
So
around 5 we went to the airport and Adrian was mopey of course but Kyle will be
back Tuesday. I ended up watching television the rest of the evening and
finished Netflix’s The Diplomat before calling it a day.
So,
Kyle is getting married. Well, I hope for the best for them and our little
family.
MAY
I fixed myself and Adrian Villalobos some
breakfast this morning but he didn’t get up to go to school until 9:30. So he
ate his late. I only wrote in my journal and posted to This Day In Gay Utah
History as well as wished my friends Happy Beltane. I haven’t felt like
researching Elizabeth Metz the madam who operated a whore house on the north
side of Second South in the 1890’s. Kind of mentally fatigued I suppose.
Instead,
I went to my Vietnamese barber because I was getting rather shaggy. It’s been
since March 6th and that’s rather too long to go as I was looking
woolly. I should just get a haircut on the first of each month. I remember how
wild Bill Poore had gotten and I don’t want to be like that.
Afterwards I went to
America First in Lee’s Market and deposited a $37 check that was sent to me and
while there I bought some gluten free lasagna noodles that I couldn’t find at
Smith’s or Lucky’s. I then went to Smith’s and bought ingredients to make some
lasagna for Adrian and also bought gas. Prices have shot up again to $3.89 a
gallon but at Smith’s I got a dime off so I saved 80 cents. Big Whoop.
Spent the rest of the
afternoon cleaning the kitchen and making the lasagna and some other rotini
pasta with left over sauce. That about wore me out to do much else. Adrian was
out and about for much of the day so didn’t see him much. When I did, he in his
broken English asked if I had long to live. LOL, I think he meant to say how
old was I and he was concerned about how long I’d be around.
In the mail I finally
got my driver’s license. I was really surprised that the expiration date was
for 2031. 7 years from now instead of the regular 5. I will be 80 years old
when my license expires if I don’t expire first. I saw that Gordon Lightfoot
the singer died today. I always liked his voice and music from the early 70’s
especially If You Could Read My Mind.
It was quite warm
today. They say 87 degrees so in the evening I watered my plants I planted and
some of the flower garden and decided to do some spading of the high walk area
in from of the fence that was uneven and starting to get weedy. The warm weather
is making everything pop finally. My tulips are in full bloom. I wanted to do
more but then fagged out. My mind wants to do more than my body will let me.
Carlos Bahena was out
this evening cutting down more of the globe willow between our two houses and
his son brought me over some pineapple cupcakes for watching their mail while
they were gone.
Adrian finally came
home around 8 and had some of the lasagna I made for him. I had eaten a salad
and a small portion of it earlier.
So that was the first
day of May 2023.
I
had strange dreams last night and actually slept in until almost 6;30. The most
memorable dream was of John Cunningham and me. I haven’t dreamt of him in so
long. We were both in college and he apologized for manipulating me so much and
as he left, I kissed him slightly goodbye knowing that it was a mistake to do
so. Dreams are the only way I see people I love who are gone.
My neighbor Carolos Bahena is taking out the rest of the
globe willow between our driveways. He hired some guy with a tractor bucket to
dig out the stump and roots. Kyle Warren and Adrian Villalobos have already
removed the tree and barberry bush I had
for 25 years.
It was a beautiful day for it and such a pleasant morning
here in the Rockies that I had to be outside spading up the top terrace by the
front yard fence, leveling it and raking. I replaced all the stepping stones but
two and a half hours is plenty for a 72 year old man to be doing such lifting.
I planted my vegetable garden out front this year so there
has been lots of changes to my front yard over the years. Richard P. Butler
taught me the importance of curb appeal years ago. So, I am enjoying grubbing
and seeing my pretty tulips that have finally come up. It won't be long until
they are gone but my oriental poppies have come back.
I rested for much of the rest of the afternoon, walked the
pups, took a nap, and in the evening, I went to the Gay Men’s Support Group.
Bill Blevins ran the meeting and it was his birthday. I think he said he was 77
years old now. The check in topic was rather we thought prostitution should be
legal. Everyone said yes of course but I was the only one who was concerned
that some people used prostitution for a form of supporting a drug habit and
are controlled by pimps. The rest of the
meeting was mainly talking about flight attendants as two of the new people,
one a 21 year old and another probably 50 years old, work or worked for Delta
Airlines. It was a much smaller group tonight about 11 when we had 18 last week
but perhaps the nice weather is keeping people away.
When I came home, I watched an episode of the Good Omen and
around 9:30 Kyle Foote called and said his plane had landed so I gathered up
Adrian Villalobos and we drove out to the airport. I was rather tired so
probably wasn’t as enthusiastic as I could have been. I guess Las Vegas was a
good conference for him and Kyle learned a lot. Adrian said he was hungry and
so we went through the drive thru at McDonalds and I couldn’t believe how busy
it was still at 10 at night. Kyle just said I don’t get out much. Probably
true. As soon as we were back at the house I went to bed with the pups.
A gunman shot and wounded 2 people on a soccer field at
17th South in Glendale and was on the loose.
However later at night I heard they had captured him. No where is safe
in the NRAmerica.
It was a cooler day but still quite nice out
for walking the pups. I was up to fix Adrian Villalobos his breakfast for
school and I can tell he happy to have Kyle Foote back home. I suppose Kyle
doesn’t have to leave again until the 19 of May for almost a week
then.
I
didn’t go anywhere today, just stayed around the house. I didn’t want to drive
the FIT because the plastic casing beneath the engine had come loose and was
dragging a lot. When Kyle came home from work he got under the car and was finally
able to remove it.
Adrian
and Kyle ate some of my lasagna on the back veranda and I just watched some
shows before going to bed. In the news the Republicans and President Biden are
going to negotiate to raise the debt ceiling or the government may default as
early as June. The Fascist Party would
destroy the country before letting Biden succeed. How it would affect me is that my social
security would be held up and while I think I might be okay for a couple of
months it would be devasting to millions of others.
4 May 2023 Thursday
I went shopping this morning and bought two
lilac bushes since Kyle Foote removed all of mine last year. I might not live
long enough to see them mature but someone will be able to smell and enjoy them
after I am gone. Also, I went grocery shopping for Adrian Villalobos and the
pups. I rarely shop for Kyle anymore only because he’s rarely home to eat. Or like this evening he bought a Mod pizza
for the two of them.
Adrian
wrote me this, “hello grandpa ben my friend, I'm sorry I couldn't cancel the
money you lent me last time before, but I've had very low Door dash weeks and
few hours, it's been under business but here I have something to give you so I
don't owe you so much. I really thank you for taking care of me so much and
being aware of me
Write to Adrian Villalobos.”
What
he was trying to do with give back some of the money I gave him last month but
told him to keep it because he will need to buy a parking pass and books next
week when he starts school at Salt Lake Community College.
I
made some sugar cookies this evening from a mix but they just flattened out.
LOL oh well. I talked to my sister Donna Jones for a bit this afternoon as she
accidentally called me so I called her back and all is fine down there in
Arizona. My cousin Larry Fagan’s son Aaron texted me a message also asking how
I was doing . That was curious as I hadn’t heard or seen him in years. In the evening I called Chuck Whyte back as
he had asked whether Michael Aaron had ever received a Kristen Ries Award so I
told him that he had.
It
was a much cooler day and it looked at one point that it might rain but it
never did.
Fifty Three years ago I
was a freshman in college when students were being shot at Kent State for
protesting the Vietnam War. I will never
forget it was the Republican response and it solidified my opinion of that fascist
party. Nixon, Agnew, John Mitchell were
all criminals. The Party has not changed only the faces.
It was downright chilly today and I had to wear
my beach comber poncho when I took the pups for a walk and it was too cold out
to do any yard work. I stayed home and mainly wrote up my research on Elizabeth
Metz, the woman who went to prison in
1895 for procuring teenagers as prostitutes at her whore house on Second South.
Took
a long nap in the afternoon and still felt tired so it was one of those blah
days. There was lots I could have done like cleaning the house and such but
just bundled up in the lazy boy and watched television mostly.
It was a cooler day and in the evening it
finally rained. I went with Kyle Foote and Adrian Villalobos to Salt Lake
Community College so Adrian could find his classroom. He will start on the 15th.
Afterwards we went to Mi Ranchitos down around 10949 South Redwood Road in
South Jordan. Kyle is working for the people there helping to improve their
menu and on a pizza place at the same location. We ate lunch there but only
Kyle and Adrian ordered and I just ate some rice and beans from Kyle’s meal. He
wasn’t all that hungry and I was filling up with chips and salsa. Surprisingly
learned that Adrian doesn’t like Mexican food too much and said he’s a “Gringo”
lol. I guess what they eat in Columbia is quite different. I thought the food
was delicious myself what I ate of it.
I
was awake way too early this morning around 4:30 although I didn’t get up to start the day
until 5:30. I posted to This Day In Gay Utah History, wrote in my journal and
finished writing up about Annie Baumgarten the 16 year old protégé of Elizabeth
Metz in the whore house on West Second South. I walked the pups twice but had
to wear sweats as it was rather cool out and looked like rain for most of the
day.
Kyle
said that he and Adrian went to the movies last night and saw the Mario
Brothers Movie that was out and then
went out to eat. However, he was sick all night and throwing up. This evening
around 7 Adrian came up and was wanting soup for Kyle as he was sick again. He
wanted plain chicken soup with rice which I didn’t have so I went to the store
and bought him a can of Progresso Chicken noodle soup and drained the noodles.
I hoped that helped.
I
spent the rest of the night writing up my research on Cladia and Mamie Metz,
the daughters of Elizabeth Metz. I noticed that
it was raining pretty good outside when I went to bed around 10.
7 May 2023 Sunday
I made me a breakfast of biscuits and milk
gravy and baked some chicken thighs for the pups. I also made a kettle of
chicken soup for Kyle Foote before working on the computer. I discovered while
researching the family of Elizabeth Metz that her only grandson was also in
trouble with the law since the age of 8 and upward until he reformed after he
married and settled down.
I
took the pups for their morning stroll around the block and after taking them
home I went and dug up the castle bricks that Carlos Bahena said I could have
that Randy Gile had put down so long ago between our houses. The Globe Willow
has been completely removed and in the space between our drive ways, Carlos is
having Lani the Polynesian guy who poured our concrete, pour an addition to
Carlos driveway. Lanie will also pour concrete into the little triangle by my
driveway where the flowering tree and barberry bush used to be.
I
hauled all the bricks into my yard and built up what I already had when Kyle
Foote, Adrian Villalobos and I went to get a Dr. Pepper and then to Smith
Grocery Store. When we came back Kyle decided to move my mailbox, that had been
next to the one next door for 25 years, over to the parking strip in front of
the house. He moved all the large rocks that had been piled around the mailbox
post to my garden area. I did not help at all because I was tired from moving
castle bricks and also this was his project. Instead, I cooked some breaded
pork and scalloped potatoes.
When
Adrian and Kyle were finished installing the mailbox in its new location, they
came up to eat Sunday dinner but I didn’t have any. I went outside and
transplanted the Red Hot Poker plants to save them and also some small shoots
from the root of the tree that Kyle had removed. Kyle had also added a little sign on the
Mailbox post with our address of 1633.
Later
in the afternoon Kyle and Adrian used the hot tub and wore swim suits. I asked
when I saw Kyle later if the water was low and he said yes so, I guess I will
drain and clean tomorrow.
So,
it was a very productive Sunday for a change. The weather was mostly nice but
clouded up for a bit but no rain. Kyle wants me to make an appointment for Persephone
around June 1st, maybe on a Saturday, for her checkup.
Yesterday was the
coronation of King Charles III, however I never watched a bit of it. His
ancestor King George III killed my ancestor Britton Williams.
8 May 2023 Monday
Adrian Villalobos and Kyle Foote went this
morning to have Adrian fingerprinted as part of his immigration process. Kyle
said it only took a few minutes but they were gone all day to school and at work.
I did my morning routine and tried writing up some of the research I’ve done on
the Cladia Metz family until around 10. I then walked the pups and coming back
to the house I began to drain the hot tub so as to clean it.
The
day was nice out so I dug up some of the wild geraniums where the only mailbox
was to replant and watered a bit in the front yard. While pulling weeds on the
southside Peter Nash came over and we visited for a bit about our yards. His
wife is having large garden redwood planter boxes put in their front yard so we
are both making changes. He wanted all the dead arbor vitae bushes to user as
filler in the boxes. He also said he would help me take the old chain fencing
to the dump in his truck someday.
I
cleaned and wiped down the hot tub and refilled it this afternoon and called it
quits then and took a nap.
Waking
up went for another walk with the pups and fixed them their supper. Adrian was
out ‘door dashing’ when Kyle came home to have some of the soup I made
yesterday. He reminded me that he’s leaving again tomorrow for the day to fly
into Denver and back.
I
watched some of “American Graffiti” the 1973 George Lucas film that made stars
out of a lot of folks. I didn’t finished
it as I was tired and from waking up at 4:30 this morning so I went back to
bed.
Wes Long, who I helped
with material for a story he was writing on MCC for the City Weekly wrote me “Hello
Ben, I hope you've been well. I wanted you to know that I have completed a
first draft of my article for the Pride Month issue and have enclosed it below.
I would appreciate your thoughts on whether I have represented you correctly. I
intend to submit this to my editor by early next week, so if you can, feel free
to let me know your thoughts any time before Monday/Tuesday. With regard, Wes.”
I read his story and
wrote back “Excellent write up...I even learned a lot from your
research...thank you. I know both Bob and Bruce would have been happy with your
portrayal . Thank you”
He responded back “Thank
you so much, Ben! I’m deeply humbled that you feel this way and I dearly hope
that it may do some good for people. I’m still just riding the high of getting
this all down on paper. As I’m sure you understand, it’s a relief to no longer
have this vast subject floating about in my head. I’ll keep you in the loop for when this
article releases and will have a physical copy saved for you if you’d like. Wes.”
9 May 2023 Tuesday
I had to take Kyle Foote to the airport around
8 this morning as he was going to Denver for the day for his Pizza consulting for
“Lulu’s Hot Oven” business down in South Jordan.
I
am still researching and compiling information on the Metz family which I did
for much of the morning before walking the pups. It was kind of cool out so it
was a light jacket weather. I didn’t do any yard work and didn’t see Adrian
Villalobos much today although I was up early to fix him breakfast. He didn’t go with us to the airport because
he didn’t get ready in time and Kyle was anxious to be at the airport.
I
took a nap in the afternoon but was wakened by the sound of a chainsaw and when
I looked outside, across the street, the forty foot poplar tree that we planted
in Yvandro’s yard 25 years ago from one of my shoots was being taken down. It
was mostly dead anyway and needed to be removed.
I
went to the Gay Men’s Support Group this evening and there was about 12 people
there. Blair Bateman brought in a large poster that was in the center’s vault
storeroom of me that he said was at Pride Day last year in their history
section. I didn’t know it was even there as no one told me. It was kind of fun
to see that.
The opening topic was
on who do you admire and I said there’s too many but the main attribute they
had in common was kindness. The meeting was kind of fluid with topics ranging
from political news about Trump to Conversion Therapy and to Gay men innate biology
versus culture. I said that being Gay is not about sex it’s about who you fall
in love with and who can break your heart.
After
coming home, I had to stay up past 10 to go pick Kyle up and Adrian went with
me this time. The airport was super busy for some reason with both arrival and
departure lanes crowded. I know Kyle was glad to be home and complained liked
everyone does about the distance of the Denver airport from Denver.
In
the news a New York jury found Trump guilty of assaulting E Jean Carroll back
in the 1990s and defaming her by denying it. He was ordered to pay her $5
million. His lunatic supporters said it was a victory for Trump because he
wasn’t convicted of rape. Like everyone else who has sued Trump, I doubt
whether she will see a dime. Also, George Santos had criminal charges filed
against him today but what for is sealed for now.
10 May 2023 Wednesday
I finished my long research on Cladia Metz and
posted it on West Second South and on People in Utah History when it was
flagged by Face Book as going against community standards but only on the
People’s page.
I
received this message from Vikkie Housley Smith, the owner of the History page.
“Hey Ed... I just read my notifications and saw Facebook has removed 2 of your posts.
I have no way (that I can see) to even see what they were. I can't even imagine
why they would care about people. But I
wanted you to know that so far, I have LOVED every story you have put up
here. I also didn't know if they
notified you... but I wanted to let you
know I am sorry that it happened. if you want to repost them ... that is ok
with me.”
I
responded to her “Yes, the story I wrote about Elizabeth Metz daughter Cladia
and her outlaw husband Ed Young was flagged as hate speech with no
explanation... I tried to be careful, objective and no judgement just
historical facts. Ed Young was convicted for setting fire to the Ogden court
house and their son Howard built a series of underground tunnels in SLC.
Forgotten histories of perhaps not sterling citizens but our history none the
less... crazy that I posted the same material on my West Second South page and
it wasn’t flagged at all...but when I said FB was arbitrary on my own page,
they said it went against community standards and it was removed...It would be
nice if a real person read these and not an algorithm...
Vikkie wrote back “well here is the thing. I want you to
put it back if you haven't already. I
will deal with them if they do it again.
It makes me angry because I had a post removed from my personal page
that was a recipe. So, I know there really isn't a "rule" and I don't
think anyone has reported your posts.
not that I have been notified of.
I just wanted you to know I did not approve of
the removal and want you to put it back.”
I responded “Thanks I
am writing up Mamie Metz who was the younger daughter who led a tragic life... I
think I will use the word courtesan instead of prostitute as that might be what’s
against community standards and considered hate speech.
I disputed Facebook
decision to flag the story and evidently someone looked at it and it was reposted to the People
History Site.
I went to the stores
this morning to get some groceries but other than walking the pups that as
about all I did outside of the house. I didn’t see Kyle Foote or Adrian
Villalobos much today but in the early evening Adrian came up to eat and he
fried up some Salmon I had thawed out for him.
He seemed rather
pensive and I asked him if he was sad and then he told me that his ex-boyfriend
found information on Kyle’s criminal background and had been trying to upset
him about it. Adrian said that Kyle had already told him although I am not sure
how much. Adrian was upset because this guy told his family in Columbia and
Adrian had to deal with that but they were supportive of him. I told Adrian
that Kyle had made some really big mistakes in the past but we have to hope he has
put all that in the past.
Kyle came home about
that time so we stopped talking about it and we visited with Kyle about his day
at work. Kyle said that he is planning to ask Adrian to marry him this Monday.
After they went down stairs,
I just watched some television mainly a French Mae movie called The Big Bug”
about the future in 2045 when Artificial Intelligent Robots try to replace
humans. It was more of a black comedy than a dystopian future.
In the news, George
Santos has been charged with 13 felony counts but was released on a half a
million dollar bond and plans on voting in Congress.
11 May 2023 Thursday
I started pulling out all the dead arborvitaes
and throwing them over onto the parking pad because Peter Nash said he’s like
them to help fill in his planter boxes. The back yard has sprouted so many
weeds, especially rag weed. I yanked the
bushes out mostly by hand so later my left shoulder was extremely sore so I
overdone it for sure. I called on the Dog Grooming School again and no one
answers so I will go down there tomorrow and see what is going on there.
Lulubelle is needing a grooming.
Everyone
here is busy with work or school except me. I did post the tragic story of Mamie
Metz Steele who committed suicide in a SLC bordello in 1902. Other than that,
not much else is happening. If the Republicans hold raising the debt ceiling hostage,
I might not be getting my social security check in June.
This afternoon I did a little yard clean up and
dragged the remnant of the chain link fence that had been left in my side yard
and managed to put it in the trash bin. The rest of the poles I put along the
curb. Maybe someone will take them for scrap metal, if not they will go to the
dump.
In
the evening I did watch the 1970 Airport movie with an all-star cast mainly
featuring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, and Helen Hayes. It was a big budget
Hollywood film that at the critics hated but audiences loved. Helen Hayes won
an Oscar for her role in it. Funny how that made adultery and divorce seem kind
of cool and grown up. Flying sure has changed since then and not for the better.
12 May 2023 Friday
Chuck Whyte called me this morning after seeing
the ticket prices for Gay Pride this year. I looked at their page too and interesting
you can pay $5000 for a UTAH PR!DE LIVE! VIP BOOTH Ticket that includes six VIP tickets, VIP reception,
delicious food, hosted bar, your own server, meet the artists, and after party
with the Lineup: MONÉT X CHANGE, Ultra Naté, Dana Goldberg, Brian Justin Crum,
GSP. I remember the days we barely put on Gay
Pride Day for $500 and it was free to attend. Also, I remember when we didn't have VIPs at
all because everyone was a very important person.
I see that they have a
$10 pass for Gay Youths 13-20 but only a $5 discount on a $20 admission for
Seniors on a fixed income. And the money
keeps rolling in. I remember when Pride was more than a party.
After
working on the computer this morning, I decided to drive down to the Dog
Grooming School. Passing by the Fairgrounds there must have been thousands of young
people attending a music festival put on by Kilby Court. At the school I saw
that it had closed down, which surprised me but there was no signage saying
why. So, I guess I will see if I can get
Lulubelle in back at the dog park.
On
the way home I stopped in at Sutherland’s where their parking lot was filled
with their mother’s day sale of plants and flowers. I was amazed how many
people were there already, probably fifty or more. I bought some vegetables, zucchini,
and summer squash stars, as well as some peppermint and a rosemary herb. I
think my huge Rosemary bush did not survive the winter. I also bought some more
mice traps.
About
noon after finishing my planting, Kyle Foote called and wanted me to go with
him to American First because his paycheck was not automatically deposited but
was written out. He wanted me to deposit it into my account so we went to the
credit union at Lee’s Market. I didn’t see him again until this evening.
While
watching the news I heard a mouse trap snap that I had set in the kitchen by
the stove. I was hoping to leave it there until Kyle came home but when Adrian
Villalobos came up to fix himself some supper I had to go see and there was a
large mouse that was killed but had dragged the trap a distance before it died.
So, I disposed of the whole trap instead of reusing it.
I
have been having hamburgers for my lunches lately and that is what I had but
for Adrian’s supper he had a fried steak and this cornmeal bread he fried. It’s
made from that maize mix called “Pan”.
Kyle
came home after 7 this evening looking for Adrian who was out on the veranda
eating outside. I just curled up with the pups in the lazy boy and watched some
TV. I have been watching on HBO a series called The Plumbers about G Gordon
Liddy and Howard Hunt’s break in at Watergate in 1972. It’s pretty good.
Kathleen Turner played Dita Beard and she is almost unrecognizable from the svelte
sexy thing she was in Body Heat and Romancing
the Stone from 40 years ago.
Michael
Romero called me back while I was watching
the show and we visited as I hadn’t heard from him in a long time. He
said he was well and that his camper trailer’s refrigerator wasn’t working and
a new one had to be ordered so that is why he never brought it over to park it.
He sounded like he might not go anywhere this summer as so many campgrounds
will be closed because of late snow and those open will be crowded. He said he’s come by tomorrow to visit.
This is the response
from a queer youngster to my posting of the Rainbow Flag meme "I think the
inclusion flag is better because white queers have a legacy of socialized
racism to contend with a side of transphobia. Our progressive gains are only on
the backs of gay POC. Trans sisters were the first to riot on pride. Period."
This sadly is what so many brainwashed young queers think today.
13 May 2023 Saturday
It rained for most of the morning I would say
until nearly 11 before I was able to walk the pups and even then, I bundled up.
Mike Romero came over in the afternoon to visit, bringing Coco with him. He
said he’s gotten use to the catheter and feels pretty good although his diabetes
is still acting up. He said the reason the trailer was brought over was that
the refrigerator was broken so it’s still down at the dealers to get that
fixed. We had a good visit catching up I
suppose. He said that he’d bring his
lawn mower over tomorrow as he doesn’t really use it anymore and Kyle Foote has
never put together the one he bought last year. I only have a little bit of
Grass left in the front yard and I might even get rid of that.
Adrian
Villalobos and Kyle were working on washing and cleaning Adrian’s KIA much of
the afternoon or working in South Jordan. They blocked me in a lot, by parking
behind me in the drive way so I never went to get groceries. I need to get the
pups some chicken for tomorrow.
My
first love John Francis Cunningham died this day in 2007. I fell in love with
him my Senior year in high school and we went to Cypress College together in
the fall of 1969. He was the first boy I ever told him that I loved him. It did
not go well. It was 1970.
He enlisted in the air
force in 1973 while I left for Utah to attend BYU because California held too
many sad memories of John for me. When he was discharged in 1977, having made
the rank of sergeant, I was a married man pretending to be "normal"
in Utah.
I had lost all track of
him until 1983 when we reconnected by phone. We stayed in touch during the
1980's, told him I was Gay and that I still loved him. He never married, became an alcoholic, lived
in a male barracks as a firefighter. I lost track of him again when he moved again and I didn't even know that he
had died until 5 months after his death.
JOHN CUNNINGHAM
OBITUARY-Jan. 9, 1951-May 13, 2007 John Cunningham, 56, of Oceanside died May
13. He was born in Glendale and was a federal firefighter. He served in the Air
Force." This was all that was written and no service was held by his
mother and two brothers.
His veteran application for a marker
stated he died of natural causes but his
brother told me he had committed suicide.
He was only 56. He's buried in
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, PLOT SECTION CBI ROW 3 SITE 422.
I still think about him
nearly daily. I became a Gay activist so
that young people wouldn't have the same
stigma and shame that kept John and I apart
50 years ago.
14 May 2023 Sunday
It rained for much of the morning again and at
night we had a severe lightning and thunderstorm that lit up the skies over
Salt Lake that I watched through the bay window.
I
did manage to take the pups twice on walks during the breaks and I let Mike
Romero know not to bother with bringing the lawnmower over today because
there’s no way I would mow.
Kyle
Foote asked if I had any breakfast food in the house because he wanted to fix
him and Adrian Villalobos breakfast here rather than going out. Of course, I
did. During the break in the weather, I also went to Lucky’s to buy chicken for
the pup’s supper, some fruit, and eggs for Adrian’s breakfasts next week and I
bought some carnations because Kyle said he was taking Adrian to his mother’s
grave for Mother’s Day and I tagged along in the back seat.
For
much of the afternoon it cleared up and it was nice out. It was only in the
evening did the thunder storm roll in while I was watching a 1946 MGM bio flick
on Jerome Kern with lots of MGM stars like Judy Garland, and others singing the
composers songs. Like almost all bio pics of popular composers the film was
mostly fictional.
On
the computer I posted pictures of all my aunts, my great grandmothers,
grandmothers, my mom, and my sisters for Mother’s Day. I even sent my niece pictures
of her graduation from mechanic school I took. Ancestry.com has a feature where
you can colorize black and white photos and that was kind of cool turning old
portraits into color ones.
Tomorrow
Adrian starts Salt Lake Community College and I have to go to Roseman to have
two teeth pulled that I am dreading because last time I had dry pockets that
hurt really bad.
I
had a notice that Ross Poore is having a
memorial for Bill in June but he never said where or what time.
15 May 2023 Monday
It was an eventful day for Kyle Foote and
Adrian Villalobos as that Kyle asked Adrian to marry him. It was the 6th
month since they first met.
I fixed Adrian a
breakfast of boiled eggs, rice and beans and fruit for his first day of classes
at Salt Lake Community College. His classes now start at 8 so has to leave the
house around 7:30. I got ready to go down at Roseman Dental to have two molars
extracted. I have been dreading it because last time I had a tooth pulled I had
a dry pocket that was very painful and they said to expect 2 hours in the chair
while they yank them out.
So, I was down there at
9 and if I ever have a tooth pulled again and they assign a woman team to me I
will just go home. I have had good luck with cavities, cleanings, and etc. with women teams but they don't have
the strength to pull my teeth which have strong roots.
To begin with, they
didn't give me enough Novocain to deaden the nerves so all through the long
process of pulling the first tooth I was in discomfort and actual pain and they
had to keep giving me more and more shots while they chattered back and forth.
An hour and a half of them trying to pull the tooth was exhausting for me. Call
me a misogynist, I don't care. Whenever I had male dentists, the tooth came out
quickly because they had stronger force. I just hope I don't have a dry pocket
like the last time a gal pulled just 1 tooth.
Anyway, I was home by
11 and still exhausted. I walked the dogs around the block while Kyle Foote
left for work. I didn’t want to just be inside because it was a beautiful 80
degree day so I decided to pull all the over grown weeds in the south side
parking strip.
While I was outside, 5
middle school boys of various ethnicities asked if they could have a drink from
my hose because they said they were hot from walking to school.
I went back to working
in the yard for about 3 hours and that was enough. I probably shouldn’t have
doing anything thing after what I went through this morning.
When Adrian came home
from his first day, he fixed himself some fried fish I had breaded for him last
week and had put in the freezer for him. I just rested in the lazy boy too tired
to visit with him.
Later Kyle called and
said he wanted me to distract Adrian by having him come up stairs when Kyle
came home. So, I did and they were both nicely dressed. Adrian, I suppose,
thought he and Kyle were just going out for an anniversary dinner.
I just watched my shows
while they were gone for the evening but when they came home around 9:30 Adrian
was so excited and had to show me the ring with which Kyle proposed. He could
hardly contain himself and I hugged them both and said congratulations. If I
hadn’t been so tired from my extractions today, I probably would have shown
them both more enthusiasm but truly I am happy for them both. It’s what I spent
a life time trying to accomplish.
So, Kyle and Adrian are
getting married. Probably after Kyle gets back from his trip to Chicago this weekend
16 May 2023 Tuesday
Adrian is on this new 4 eggs a day breakfast
routine. So, I fixed him 4 scrambled eggs, queso cheese, and a boiled potato
for his breakfast. That is more eggs than I eat in a week. He wanted a can of
tuna also to take with him for a lunch break.
I also gave him my silver and amethyst ring I bought back in 1988 at
Gypsy Moon. It was the first real gift I bought for myself when I finally had
some money from being so broke that year. I wanted him to have it to remember
me by. I bought it because I had read in “Another Mother’s Tongue” back then
that Gays should always wear purple on their person.
I spent almost all morning pulling weeds that
grew up in the concrete pad and sidewalk along the south side of lot. That was
a shore but I was happy when it was done but I still have to but it all in the
yard waste bin. It’s a job for tomorrow.
I then went down to the
Dog Park on North Temple to make an appointment for Lulabelle which they had an
opening this Thursday at noon. However later when I came back to the house, I
searched high and low for her rabies certificate but couldn’t find it at all
neither Maxx’s only T J and Taco. So, I will have to go to the vet tomorrow and
get a copy of them.
After leaving the Dog
Park I went to Sutherlands and bought some more flowers and mice traps before
going over to Mike Romero’s to pick up his electric lawn mower that he is
giving me so I can finally mow the little bit of grass I have left in the front
yard which I did. Mike said he hadn’t been feeling well because of his diabetes
acting up and will bring Coco over tomorrow as he had a doctor’s appointment down
in Daybreak. His yard is totally overgrown and weedy. I know he doesn’t have
the strength or energy to do much about it.
I had been up since 5
this morning so I needed a nap and Kyle Foote woke me up around 4:30 and asked
if I wanted to go with him back down to Mi Ranchito in South Jordan because he
left his notebook there that he needed. I never say no to Kyle so I got dressed
and we headed down right in going home traffic which I hate. Anyway, Kyle told
me a little bit about his proposing to Adrian yesterday and we visited a bit mostly about Adrian
Villalobos starting school this week
This afternoon when he
came home and fixed himself some lunch of fried fish, he talks to his sister
via skype on his phone and he just laughs and it makes me smile and so happy to
have him here, even if I don’t understand a word, he speaks to his sister but
just can tell they are having a great time.
Kyle and I were barely
back to the house in time for me feed the pups and then go off to my Tuesday
night Gay Men’s Group. I’d say there was about 15 guys there, I think more than
Bill Blevins anticipated. The main discussion was on the dangers of on line dating
and the younger ones had more stories because they are the ones who use the
dating apps the most, like Grindr, Growlr, and Scuff. We talked a little bit
about Porn Hub pulling out of the Utah Market due to the State’s new
anti-pornography laws where you have to show proof of age with a driver’s
license on many of the streaming sites.
We also talked about 60
Minutes exposé’s on the 100 billion dollars
the Mormon Church is hoarding. A church spokesman tried to defend the church’s
wealth by saying they needed the money for Jesus’ Second Coming to which
someone in our group asked how much money does Jesus need to come back and is
he coming First Class from Kolob?
Anyway, it was fun
meeting even if I was rather low key because my energy is still low from teeth
removal yesterday and all the work I have done around the yard.
When I came home, I was
surprised to see Adrian and Kyle in the kitchen pulling out the refrigerator
and oven to sweep behind them of mouse droppings and a dead mouse. I just let
them go at it and had a bit of bean soup then went to bed.
17 May 2023 Wednesday
After fixing Adrian Villalobos his new diet
breakfast and working on the computer I went over to Wasatch animal hospital to
get records on both Lulubelle and Maxx. While there the receptionist assistant said that Lulubelle was
due for both her parvo and Bordetella shots
although her rabies was good for another year. So, I drove back to the house
and retrieved Lulubelle and brought her to the clinic and $70 later she had
both her shots. However, after get back home I noticed that she had pooped in
the back of the FIT. I guess because she was nervous even though I walked all
the pups before going to the vets.
Well,
that gave me the incentive to actually clean the inside of the car which I
hadn’t since the accident last year and also, I never go through the car wash any
more. I scrubbed inside the car and vacuumed the floors, washed the floor mats,
and retied the seat covers. Then I washed the car in the driveway . It
wasn’t really too dirty as I park in the
garage but just regular street grime and dust build up. It felt good to
actually have a clean car once again.
It
was warming up by noon and it was in the mid 80’s today. I watered some of the
front yard but didn’t get around to doing much yard work. Mike Romero dropped
Coco off while he went to have his catheter changed down in Day Break so I mainly
just stayed in the house resting although before Mike came over, I did go to
Lucky’s because I was all out of Chicken for the pups, especially when Adrian
came home from school hungry and ate two of the chicken thighs. I didn’t mind
and the chicken I cook up is just as good for humans as it is for the pups. I
also bought two dozen eggs and 6 cans of tuna for Adrian’s new diet. He goes
through 20 eggs a week. He’s young and works out.
Anyway,
I also bought some boneless chicken breasts that were on sale and I sliced them
into cutlets and breaded them before frying and baking them.
When
Mike came back from the doctors around 4, he retrieved Coco and I said I’d come
over this weekend and mow his yard. It’s not that big of a yard to do but it’s
really over grown.
When
Kyle Foote came home from work, he ate dinner here of my chicken cutlets, yellow
rice, and cottage cheese. Adrian cooked up a small steak I left out for him
since he had chicken for his lunch.
I
watched some of my usual shows and I have to say it gives me some pleasure to
see Adrian and Kyle so affectionate towards each other, like we are a true
family, which I suppose we are.
Same
old news. Mass shootings, bad weather, fighting over raising the debt ceiling,
war in Ukraine, tension over Taiwan. Gas prices are back over $4 again. And the
Beat goes on.
18 May 2023 Thursday
I knew that Adrian Villalobos didn’t have to go
to school until 9 from what the counselor said but both him and Kyle Foote kept
telling me his class was at 8 so I fixed him his breakfast at 7 but he didn’t
even come up until after 8.
Today was an expensive
day between grooming Lulubelle, buying treats at Walmart for the pups and Kyle
Foote needing $2000 to pay for his 6 days at a hotel in Chicago.
I took Lulubelle down
at noon and she wasn’t ready until 4. About 3:30 Kyle asked me to go get a
drink at Common Cents and then he told me about all his job prospects but the
bottom line was that he only had $80 until he supposedly get paid but needed to
pay for his rooms which were close to $1800 for the time there. So, I
transferred money from my savings account to his card so he can pay for his
rooms plus some extra. I have no idea why he doesn’t budget for these trips but
he doesn’t. I paid for $600 for his plane ticket last month so the only thing
he actually paid for was for the convention and I have no idea how much that
was. I know you have to spend money to make money but it seems like he’s always
spending mine.
Lulabelle’s grooming
was $61 with a $10 tip but she really needed it and she only goes in like every
three months.
19 May 2023 Friday
I woke up at 2;00 this morning and forced
myself to go back to sleep before getting up around 6. After walking the pups
this morning, I started working some in the backyard, first we stacking all the
fence planks that Kyle left out in the yard. I moved them and stacked them
against the fence that is up. Then I started pulling up some of the wild
mustard that was two to three feet tall. I want to get the weeds down that have
blanketed the backyard and can be seen from the street.
I
also mowed and watered the front yard also. My garden in that transitional
period where all the tulips and bulb flowers are gone but the late spring
flowers haven't bloomed yet. There’s just a few irises but not many yet and no
roses or poppies.
But I am so grateful
that in my old age I can sit in the shade of a tree that I planted 26 years ago
and enjoy a yard where everywhere I look, I know I planted a lovely garden. I
am so fortunate to actually have a yard in this day and age when owning a home
with a yard is out of reach of most of the middle class. Salt Lake City is going to be home for apartment
dwellers.
Kyle Foote wanted me to
go with him and Adrian Villalobos to Costco because Adrian wanted their slice
of pizza. I wasn’t going to go but Kyle sounded like he wanted me to go with
them. We stopped first for gasoline at Exxon and prices had dropped just since
yesterday from $4.19 to $3.87 a gallon. Who knows what is going on there?
I hadn’t been to Costco
in years and hadn’t have a membership either but Kyle had some gift cards that one
can use to enter the store. Kyle didn’t eat the crust on his because of the
gluten so I ate a bit of it. It’s the part I like best anyway.
I decided to let Kyle
use my VISA card while he’s in Chicago just in case of emergency. I asked if
not to spend more than $300 but with that kid you never know what he will do.
We went to the airport
at 4:30, said our goodbyes, and then I drove Adrian to Arby’s to get him a
chocolate shake. It helps with his depression LOL. I spent the rest of the
afternoon and evening walking and feeding the pups, then watched television
before finally calling it a day.
20 May 2023 Saturday
Mike Romero came by around 9 shortly after I
walked the pups and we went over to his place to mow his lawn that was
completely overgrown. He did some of the
trimming but I could tell he didn’t have the strength or energy to do much as
he was dizzy a lot. We worked until about 11 and got the worst of it done. It looked
better and not like his place was abandoned. When we were through his next door
neighbor dropped by and said there was a UDOT meeting last weekend about the
possible expansion of I 15 which would take out his and all the other townhouses
and homes along the freeway. Mike acted
like he wasn’t worried like UDOT would take years to do so but I doubt it.
I doubt whether their
compensation would pay for a comparable home in that area close to downtown,
pay for moving expenses, and all the other incidentals of uprooting all these homes and businesses. Of course,
none of these UDOT officials live here nor know of anyone who does.
Seems to me it would be
much cheaper to have reverse lanes on I-15 or build a new freeway to the west
of the airport rather than spend 100's of millions of dollars buying up all the
homes and businesses from here to Farmington. Oh well no body asked me and it’s
not like UDOT cares what people have to say.
After coming back to
the house around 11:30 I fixed me some lunch. Adrian Villalobos was out somewhere
I really didn’t see him very much today.
I tried napping but at
3 Jeff Freedman who now lives in Pittsburg called to visit and pick my brain
for some “fun” facts about SLC as that a Gay Baseball League he’s involved in
is coming to Salt Lake City next week for some tournament. We commiserated how
the Gay community has changed with younger people not participating any more or
willing to do the work it takes to make change happen. He said that the Royal Court here is so dysfunctional
that he basically has divorced himself from having anything to do with it even
through it’s his 30th Anniversary Reign. I sent him These for Fun
facts that since 2021 the majority of
Salt Lake city's council members are LGBT and people of color. That we Elected our first Gay mayor in 2015
and Salt Lake City had a Gay Liberation organization in 1969 just 4 months
after the Stonewall Rebellion in NYC.
I think I over did it
today...so exhausted I can barely feed the pups before collapsing. I spent 2
hours at Mike Romeros place mowing this morning and I had a bug to tackle the
overgrown weeds in the backyard ... wild mustard, rag weed, Scottish Thistle,
burr weed and goat heads. The weeds were nearly 2 feet and I was worried about
the pups besides not wanting people to think trashy people live here...so I put
on my work ethic and this 72 year old man spent 2 and half hours mowing. I
moved all the unused fence planks the other day so I could mow... more to do
tomorrow but I don't care anymore about the back yard...the days of shade
trees. Fruit trees, and vegetable and flower gardens are gone... turn turn
everything has a season but I'll keep planting until I am planted
I
saw that Doug Tollstrup aka Clariss Cartier poste a letter he wrote regarding not
receiving Pride Day tickets this year. “Hi, All Recipients, I just got an email
from Jonathan Foulk of the Pride Center and he informed me that they are not giving
complimentary passes this year to Pride Weekend!! They are giving us passes to the Utah Pride
LIVE on Thursday, June 1, 2023 only. I
don’t know how you all feel, but this is very upsetting to me. As past recipients, I feel like the
complimentary passes were a way of saying thank you for our community
service. Some of you may not care one
way or the other. At the bottom of this email, I am enclosing the response I
sent to Jonathan. If you feel inclined,
please send him an email expressing your opinion and disappointment with this
decision. If they take this one small
perk away now, we’ll more than likely never see it in the future. I would also
be interested in how the rest of you feel just for my own knowledge.”
Jonathan Foulk (he/him)
Co-CEO 415-308-6646 Jonathan@utahpridecenter.org
Here’s my Letter: “Thanks!
Jonathan, I received
the Kristen Ries award in 1996. Ever
since then, as a gesture of appreciation for our community service, we have
gotten complimentary passes to Pride Weekend.
I feel like it’s the least The Pride Center can do for their community
service award recipients. I realize
Pride has become a fundraiser for the center.
For many years, it was free as a gift to the community. I think it’s so sad and quite frankly a slap
in the face for those of us who have donated so much time and energy over many
years. It’s a small way the Pride Center
has said thank you to us. I beg you and the Pride center to reconsider this
decision! I will be sending this email
to all the other recipients, also. Thank you, Douglas Tollstrup (Aka Clariss
Cartier)
I
also wrote “Hello, my name in Ben Williams and I just learned that the Pride
Center has decided to not give out complimentary tickets to Pride Day this
year. That is disappointing, I am sure to the majority of awardees who were
recognized for their outstanding service to this community. I received this honor along with Becky Moss
and Nikki Boyer in 1991. It was the highest honor I ever received due to the
fact that the Award was named for the First Recipient Dr. Kristin Ries who was
the only physician who was caring for Gay men who were dying of AIDS in Utah. I
was also given a life time achievement award by the center in 2019. Perhaps the
Center would not even have a center or Pride Day if not for many of these
recipients. I think this is just another slap in the face to the people who
were instrumental in building this community in the face of enormous opposition
and personal sacrifices. I am truly disappointed that someone decided to remove
the portraits of awardees from the Dr. Ries stairwell at the center after all
the work that went into it and the dedication of it as a huge milestone event. When
I saw that the center had removed them, it was a sign that the history of this
community means very little anymore. I was involved with the Gay and Lesbian
Community Council of Utah for many year that created Pride Day and the Utah
Stonewall Center which became the Pride Center. Whether you continue the
tradition of comping tickets is irrelevant to me as much as the Centers' lack
of appreciation for those upon whose back you now stand.
21 May 2023 Sunday
Another spring cleanup day. I watered all the
front yard, then swept, and cleaned the north side of the garage of all the
winter leaves and mulch. I then spread all the leaves along the fence line in
front of the house. That was a chore. I wanted the side of the house clean so I
could haul all the lumber that was left
on the backyard patio to the side of the garage. I just took as much as I could
carry one a few at a time. When that was done, I pulled all the milk weed that
grew up along the fence line next to the patio. Damn my Puritan work ethics.
I
am just doing things that were left all winter and tomorrow I will tackle
removing all the bark that was dumped on the patio. I am taking it one day at a
time.
I
sat and visited with Adrian Villalobos on the Veranda for a little bit and also
went to Lucky’s to get some chicken for the pups and bananas for Adrian’s
lunches next week.
It
was a really warm day today over 85 degrees but the air is kind of smokey from
fires in Canada.
This
evening I watered the front yard again and think I need to buy a smaller hose
because the one Kyle bought is just so clunky and unwieldy.
This
evening I watched a BBC movie on the sinking of the Lusitania during World War
I. It sank in 18 minutes, drowning 1200 people. The film kind of suggested a
conspiracy on the part of the British Admiralty.
I sent a response to the
Pride Center regarding how they acknowledge Dr. Kristin Ries Awardee recipients
during Pride Day. I suppose I should be
grateful they even acknowledge us at all considering no one down there probably
has a clue who we are or care for that
matter. Oh well I said my piece.
This is what I wrote, "I
for one would have preferred tickets to Pride Day rather than the Utah Pride
Live. As a senior the idea of a fancy sit down dinner has little appeal to me
and I also have no clue who any of the performers are or where I would be
seated.
At Pride Day, it was a
time to reconnect with old friends, like a family reunion, and as the festival
became so large it was especially nice to be in the VIP section only because so
many past recipients and friends, I knew who help build the community were
there. Even then in the so called VIP section I remember helping Nikki Boyer
wait tables and clean up as we old timers can't just sit and do nothing.
In 1989 I was a key note speaker at
Pride and in 2019 I spent 2 day at the Utah Queer History booth standing and
talking to people about our history. There was never a time I didn't help in some
way with Pride since 1986. Even at my
age I don't want to sit and be fed and entertained at the Utah Live Pride. I'd
rather be at Pride Day and see and reconnect with people we don't get to see
much anymore. People who would recognize me and ask how I am not some nameless
person in a crowded room.
I am sure the Pride Day people thought giving
us tickets to that one event was special but I don't think they realize that
many of us especial Seniors would rather take our time strolling through the
park or sitting in the VIP section reminiscing with our friends about days gone
by. Those of us who received this award back in the 1990's are no longer Spring
Chickens but still feel like what we did got us where we are today.
I always said and still
believe Pride is more than a party.”
22 May 2023 Monday
I was up early around 5:30 to start fixing
Adrian Villalobos his breakfast of a boiled potato, 4 scrambled eggs and slices
of queso fresco cheese. I also pack tuna and fruit for his afternoon snack as
he is in school from 8 to 1 in the afternoon.
I
had to be at the Redwood Clinic at 8 so I left the house about the same time
Adrian did. However, Dr. Stoneburner was late getting to work so even though I
was his first patient I still end up waiting. I didn’t mind. I had him look at my ears that I was worried
about and he said that they may be pre-cancerous so made an appointment for a
dermatologist but it was not really serious. I just need to wear my broad brim
hat whenever I am out in the sun for too long doing yard work. Anyway,
everything was fine. My blood pressure was 125 if you can believe that. So, I
made another appointment for Sept 22nd when I will also have some
lab work down beforehand.
I
came home and took the pups for a morning walk then decided to go to
Sutherlands to buy another garden hose. The 100 foot one that Kyle bought was
just too big and bulky to use for just my front yard. I also bought a few more
flowers and another tomato plant.
I
decided to rearrange the castle bricks so that its straight line across the back now that I
don’t have a front gate anymore and don’t need the little path. That was a lot
of work bit then I had to use my yard car to fill with dirt and soil to fill it
in behind the bricks to make it the same level as the rest.
So,
It was a work in the garden day again and I was really tired so after fixing a
burritos I took a nap and when I got up, I was still achy so I used the hot tub
for the first time in quite a while. Kyle has the temperature set at 99 so it
was cooler than I like at 104 but I didn’t mess with it. Afterwards walked the
pups and worked more out in the yard watering and cleaning up all the tulip that
were spent and over for the year. I sat beneath my tree and looked at my garden
with my buttery yellow irises and my oriental poppies so to pop.
Adrian
was in and out most the day and I rarely saw him and, in the evening, I watched
my delayed Sunday shows like the Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers. So that was much of my day. The smoke from
Canada is diminishing and it was 86 today.
I wonder if any of the
Brave New alphabet will care that it's Harvey Milk Day. I wonder also if the
poly and gender add Ons will acknowledge it as that Milk was, to them, a "cis gender white older
man." He was Jewish I wonder if that counts LOL, He would have been 93
years old if a homophobe would not have murdered him and San Francisco Mayor
George Moscone.
23 May 2023 Tuesday
I had to go down stairs and wake Adrian
Villalobos up to get ready for school and eat breakfast. He had stayed up late
talking to Kyle Foote and had a tiresome day at school yesterday.
I worked my butt off
today by clearing the back patio and working in the front yard. The month of May
takes a lot of work but it's much more pleasant to be outside than hot June and
July. Besides, all the pretty irises will soon be gone.
I spent the past couple
of days rebuilding my castle brick retaining wall to eliminate the path to the
old gate that is gone but then I also had to shovel cart loads full of dirt to
level out the ground. Then I had to shovel all the bark that was on the patio
in the back and haul it out front to spread to keep the mud and dirt down. Before I finished, I also mowed what little
grass I have left in the front yard.
When I am pooped out, I
sit beneath my shade tree and have my soul renewed by my flowering garden. Oh, Mary,
it takes a Faery to make something pretty.
I planted my vegetable
garden this year in the front yard near my Blue Spruce... mainly tomatoes, bell
peppers, and squash. I guess the Johnson farmer gene is still in me a bit. I
keep singing “he don't plant taters he don't plant cotton and them what plants
them are soon forgotten but old man river he keeps on rolling along.” God first planted a garden
before he made man and woman so say the ancient Mesopotamians who are all dust now.
When Adrian came home
from school, he sat with me beneath the front yard tree and visited a bit
before he went off to the gym to work out before it gets to crowded. I finally
went in the late afternoon to take a nap and when I got up Adrian was home
fixing himself some fried fish while I went and walked the pups. Lulubelle
didn’t want to go because I think she could sense a storm was coming in.
It was raining here in
West Pointe by Rose Park this late afternoon. I am glad I got all my yard work
done and the pups walked earlier in the day and I didn’t have to water any.
I was too tired to go
to the men’s group this evening and also it was raining some. Looking at my
email’s Michael Aaron made a snarky remark about my comment that I would have
rather had free tickets to Pride Day than the gala meal. It pissed me off. I
will get over it eventually.
I watched The White House
Plumbers about the Watergate break in and was going to go bed but I thought 9
was too early as I didn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night again. So,
I was watching Golden Girls when Adrian came up all excited because Kyle Foote
was at the airport because he caught an early flight home. So, I drove Adrian
down to pick Kyle up. I thought Adrian was going to explode. I never had anyone
love me as much as Adrian loves Kyle. I know Kyle was tired and really ready to
come back home. I was happy he was home but went straight to bed.
24 May 2023 Wednesday
I didn’t do as much yard work as usual but did
do some weeding and watering. I was kind of tired today. Jim McMullin called me
this morning to visit and he said that TJ Otaka has been in terrible pain with
his teeth and was at the dentist yesterday and today. I know how that can be. Jim
told me he saw my name in the last Sunday paper or I wouldn’t have known that evidently,
I was quoted in a Tribune article that the U of U Investigative Class published
about the Doug Coleman murder in 1978. I spoke to the class back in March because they wanted some
background on what being Gay in the 1970s was like.
It
was a beautiful day on the most part although it tried to sprinkle in the late
afternoon when I took the pups on a second walk.
In the evening Kyle
Foote and Adrian Villalobos came up to tell me about their wedding plans and
asked if I had talked to TJ and Jim and said I ad and they agreed to come. I
guess they are going to go get a marriage license tomorrow and find an
officiant for the marriage that Kyle wants to have at Table X in Millcreek. I never heard of the place
but that’s not unusual.
I watched another
episode of the White House Plumbers before going to bed.
The great Tina Turner
passed away today 83 years old...made a new life after leaving Ike Turner
RIP
25 May 2023 Thursday
I was up early and made corn tortillas from scratch
for Adrian’s breakfast and was worried
when he wasn’t up by 7 to eat but then realized that I had forgotten that on
Thursdays he doesn’t have to be at college until 9.
After
taking the pups for a morning walk, I watered my garden and weeded some. Then I
spent the rest of the morning leveling out a large mound of dirt in the
backyard by where the gate will be that was left over from last year. The crust
was like concrete but once I broke through, I could fill my gorilla cart and haul the dirt to fill in
some trenches and pulled rag weed. I still have some smaller mounds that will
need a pick axe to break up before they could be leveled.
All that is left in my
backyard is an Ash tree and a lone pink rose bush which was the first thing I
planted back in 1996 when the house was brand new and we had to landscape. It’s
still has pretty pink roses.
I then took a nap until
Adrian came home from working out at the gym and fixing himself a late lunch. I
took the pups out for an afternoon walk and it had clouded up but while it
looked like it might rain it didn’t.
I made some meat sauce
and spinach lasagna this afternoon for Adrian and Kyle Foote who went to the
court house to get their marriage license. When they came back to the house
Kyle then asked me to be the officiant at their wedding and brought with them
the forms for me to sign so I could. I said that I would. In the early 90’s I
performed a wedding for two Gays I knew back then.
Kyle said they picked
out their suits for the wedding which he said were very spring like and light
blue. Adrian was talking to his family on his phone and I asked Kyle if he had
the jitters yet and he said no but Adrian has. Kyle said he thinks he may have
caught a cold from his time back in Chicago and went back downstairs to eat
some lasagna.
I didn’t ask anything
about Table X and how expensive it seemed to be when I looked on line as I
didn’t want to be that guy who spoils an occasion. But I know Kyle has to pay
$1800 on June 1st and the wedding is Friday the 2nd. Maybe Kyle worked out some kind of deal for a
banquet at the place but when I looked at the site on line a 7 course meal with
wine paring was $100 per person and there may be nearly a dozen people for a
dinner afterwards.
If the government fails
to raise the debt ceiling by June 1st my social security check may
be late also.
Jim Dabakis sent me a
text saying he’s in Venice, Italy so I sent him pictures of Taco snuggling up
with me in bed.
Ross Poore wrote me “The
confirmed date for Bill’s service is Saturday, July 1 at 1 PM at the cemetery
in Layton. It is the Lindquist facility on Fairfield in Layton. Directions and
specifics will be provided later. The
service will be short: the obituary will be read , a musical number, personal
comments from someone and military honors. Comments from anyone is appropriate
and asked for. I may contact specific individuals. The location is very close
to our home. A small lunch is planned to give those that have time a chance to
visit. I will send a map later. Any suggestion or ideas are welcome.” I haven’t
decided whether I will go or not as it will be a family deal.
26 May 2023 Friday
It was raining this morning when I got up at 6
to fix some coffee and breakfast burritos. I just did my journal and This Day
In Gay History. I haven’t done anything on Second South for a while as I am
taking a break from it. I filled out the form to act as an officiant for Kyle
Foote and Adrian Villalobos wedding next Friday and Kyle sent it into the
county. Kyle caught a cold and Adrian worked on his homework for much of the
day.
This
morning after the weather cleared, I worked for about three hours in the
backyard moving the fence planks again so I could fill in more dirt against the
fence line and took a pick axe to break up some of the dirt mounds. I didn’t
need to water any because of the rain.
I
walked the pups twice but Lulubelle only once as she was weirded out by the
change in the weather this afternoon.
I
did go to the Rose Park library to get four books to read. I haven’t actually
read a book in quite a while and Janet Evanovich’s newest Stephanie Plum book
was available. I also went to Lucky’s to buy some treats. I noticed the price of
eggs are starting to come down so I bought 18 for $3.00. I have to keep Adrian
supplied in eggs.
This
evening I watched a documentary on Netflix about the Mystery of Malaysian
Flight 370. It show cased the three main theories but still to this day no one
knows for sure what happened to it.
Fran Pruyn sent an
email that Deb Hall and Kent Frogley will share the Dr. Kristin Ries Community
Service Award this year.
The News reported 3
Utah Target Stores had bomb threats due to selling Pride merchandise. One was
the SLC store.
27 May 2023 Saturday
I pulled weeds along the cattle guard fence in
the back yard and then started pulling weeds in the old curb space where the
mail box used to be and the little triangular space between the Bahena’s drive
way and ours after walking the pups this morning.
Around noon Kyle Foote
and Adrian Villalobos were leaving to shop for bow ties and white shirts for
their wedding. Kyle asked if I wanted to go first down to Common Cents to get a
drink and I said sure, as I was tired, and decided it was a good time to quit. My oriental poppies are starting to blooms and
I love the rich dark orange colors. I also transplanted some starts, from the
roots of the old flowering cherry tree. I don’t know if they will make it but
they would have been paved over if or when ever concrete gets poured
They
were gone for most of the afternoon and I read for most of the day from Janet Evanovich’s
The Pursuit about a female FBI agent and a diamond theft. It’s pretty
engaging, light, and frivolous.
In
the late afternoon, I heard all this banging around in the garage and went down
stairs to find the boys cleaning out the garage so that Kyle can park the
Terrain inside. I don’t know what got into them but I am glad they did.
Afterwards Adrian wanted a chocolate shake so we went to the Arby’s in Woods
Cross. Kyle said that the one on North Temple was out of shakes for some reason
and he also said that Arby’s shakes there are a dollar more than anywhere else.
I did not know that.
It
was a beautiful day and lots of people in the neighborhood were doing yard work
like “Pleasant Valley Sunday” except for Victor’s place behind me where Reed
Hall’s family used to live. The grass and weeds in his front and back yard are
at least 2 feet high. I am surprised that no one has complained yet.
I
read more in the evening than finished watching “All the President’s Men” about
the investigation into Watergate, then some comedy sitcoms before going to bed.
28 May 2023 Sunday
When I took the pups for a walk this morning,
Lulubelle ran back to the house so I had to go back and let her inside and then
took the other three for their walk. I am not sure why she did that.
Anyway, my fingers and
hands are really sore from pulling up weeds that filled the spaces in between
the concrete in the driveway. I first cleared out the old mailbox area, pulling
weeds and shoveling out gravel before doing the driveway. Kyle Foote and Adrian
Villalobos went off to brunch so was alone for much of the morning. I used a
screwdriver to go along the spaces where the weeds grew and had to pull the stubborn
ones. I spent about 3 hours crawling along the driveway cleaning it up when the
boys came home. Kyle said he changed the location of their wedding to the Hyatt
Hotel at the convention center downtown where they went for brunch to check it
out. I guess there is a Mexican Restaurant on the Sixth Floor called Mar
Muntanya where they want to be married on the balcony.
I
was pretty tired today after working on the driveway and didn’t do much else. In
the late afternoon I walked the pups again and Lulubelle went this time. Kyle
sent out e-vites to the wedding in the evening when I watched two foreign
movies, a German one called “Blood and Gold” and an Italian one called “Seven
Woman and a Murder.” I mostly
read several chapters from “The Pursuit” which I am finding enjoyable.
Gay actor George
Maharis died at the age of 94 RIP. My mother was born where Route 66, which was
built through Shamrock Texas. The house
was moved so the road could be built.
29 May 2023 Monday
Memorial Day
I was tired from pulling grass and weeds in the
driveway yesterday so I took a break from working in the yard. Kyle Foote asked
if I’d make some scalloped potatoes which I did which Adrian and Kyle had for
their lunch. Kyle cooked up some steaks and they ate out on the veranda. I
didn’t want anything so I just stayed in my lazy boy and read The Pursuit which
I finished this evening.
I
did talk to Michael Romero about attending the wedding. He’ll drop Coco off
here and we will go together.
So,
it wasn’t much of a holiday for me but I didn’t care. I enjoyed it the way I
did. Kyle and Adrian are both getting sick with sore throats. I hope that’s all
it is.
When I was in high
school, Memorial Day was always May 30th which it had been for 100 years. It
was only changed to the last Monday in May in 1971 to make it a 3 day holiday.
Originally it was called Decoration Day to honor Civil War soldiers killed in battle
eventually became a day to honor the death of veterans of all wars. It has also
now become a time to visit graves of loved ones.
My grandfather ancestor,
Britton Williams, was captured in battle and hung by the British during the
Revolutionary War. His body was cut down when nearly dead and then given over
to Indian allies to mutilate. My grandmother his wife Elizabeth recovered his
body and he was buried on their
plantation farm near the Savannah River SC. A plaque was placed in the Bonaventura Cemetery in Augusta. GA even
though he was not buried there. He was about
40 when he was killed as a Partisan Ranger in Marion Francis' band of guerilla fighters
also known as the Swamp Fox
30 May 2023 Tuesday
I was up by 6 to fix Adrian Villalobos his
breakfast and pack a snack of fruit and a can of tuna. I went with Kyle Foote to
his court appearance in Tooele. We left around 9 and fortunately we didn’t have
to wait long to be called. Kyle’s lawyer was able to get his next court
appearance for 6 months out which will be November 7th. We were back home by 10:30.
Kyle
asked if I was going to Pride this year with him and Adrian Villalobos and I
said no. I said I have been to more Pride Days than most people ever will. He
disagreed so I said okay I have been involved in making more Pride Days happen
then most people ever will.
My first Pride Day was
in 1986 held in Pioneer Park. I sold homemade “Whole Wheat Faggot Mormon
Cookies” as a fund raiser for
Affirmation and the Restoration Church
which sold out except for the ones stolen by transients in the park.
In 1988 my pink Japanese Parasol was
confiscated by the entertainment committee to shade the sound board system to
keep it from frying at Sunnyside Park as it was hot that year over 100 degrees.
In 1989 I was a keynote speaker and my remarks
were printed in the Tribune. I also made a large cotton muslin banner with
the words Gay and Lesbian Pride painted
on it to display.
It was the first time
we had a sign in the park stating it was Gay Pride Day. The Gay and Lesbian Community Council, which
sponsored Pride Day, had a debate on whether to have any signage at all,
fearing that it might keep people away. I argued that if we as leaders in the
community can’t show our Pride and be fearless how can we expect anyone
else. I volunteered to make the
banner. It disappeared when the Utah
Stonewall Center was shut down.
In 1991, I along with Becky Moss and Nikki Boyer
received the Dr. Kristen Ries Award for Community service at Pride Day in Murry Park, only marred by a
bunch of Neo Nazis marching in and out.
Later while attending the 2nd Pride March, I held our banner with others, with
my back to the Nazis on the steps of the city county building.
In 1994 I was a keynote
speaker again at Pride which was held at the Northwest Community Center where
Joe Redburn announced that I was to sing LOL. He was a little tipsy and I said no one wanted to hear me sing and proceeded
with my speech.
My involvement with helping with Pride Day
waned as it became more of a party than a political celebration of our
rights.
In 2003 I put together
five Utah Stonewall Historical Society kiosks for the Center but they reneged
on paying us for them. At that point I really stopped doing much with Pride Day,
not trusting the folks who turned it into a cash cow for the Pride Center.
My last hurrah was in
2019 when with others from the Queer Historical Society we put together a
history display. I rode in the parade along with Sue Robbins and Pepper
Prespentt as I had received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pride Center.
It’s marvelous to see
how Pride Day has grown and the parade become the second largest parade in
Utah. However today, however, I am quite
willing to just reminisce about our early days and ready to let the parade pass
me by.
I
went and worked a bit in the front yard pulling weeds in the walk ways and
watering a bit. The oriental poppies are in full bloom and gorgeous, however my
beautiful Irises are starting to fade away. Everything in its season.
It
was quite warm today walking the pups. I made some chicken and rice soup for
Adrian because his throat was sore from his cold.
Kyle
came rushing home around 5 and asked for me to keep the Pups in my room as he
had a conference zoom meeting downstairs. So, I did and fed them in my room
before going off to the Gay Men’s Support Group.
The
meeting was held in the downtown library and already Second East was closed
down for parking and it was a mess downtown so I decided I didn’t want the
hassle of attending so I left. I went down Second South and from Main Street
until Sixth West the street was filled with construction barrels. I could see
right away it would be a mess trying to find parking Friday and decided it
would be easier to take an Uber for the wedding.
I
wasn’t too disappointed about not attending the men’s group as that I really just wanted to see what
parking would be like. I am reading a
new book called “The Bone Queen” a murder mystery that takes place in Havana,
Cuba.
Before
going to bed, I saw an email from Michael Aaron that he had some free tickets
to pride and I asked for 2 and he sent them. Of course, I will give them to
Kyle and Adrian
It was reported that Amy
Fowler is resigning from SLC council because of a DUI and Rep Chris Steward is
resigning from Congress. He said for his wife’s health. He was an awful
representative for Salt Lake City and only won because of gerrymandering.
31 May 2023 Wednesday
Well, another May has come and gone. The
weather was pretty for much of the day but a wind storm blew in while I was
napping in the afternoon but I didn’t see that the ground was wet at all.
After
fixing breakfast for Adrian Villalobos, I made Malt O Meal cereal for myself. I
wasn’t all that hungry for a heavy breakfast. After walking the pups, I went to
Deseret Industries to drop off the Bill Poore’s rug shampooer, and some ski
racks that Kyle Foote was just going to throw out. I know they weren’t cheap
just to throw away.
Afterwards
I went to garden center on 15th South and I bought some creeping
thyme. The whole parking lot was filled and I couldn’t figure out why until
checking out I was told that Wednesdays were senior 10 percent discount days.
Sutherlands is starting
to close out its vegetables and flowers so before they are all gone, I went
there and bought 2 echinacea [purple cone flowers] a rudbeckia [black eye Susan]
and some more thyme. These will take the heat of summer and no faery garden
should be without echinacea.
I stopped at Common
Cents on the way home and saw that gas has jumped back up to around $4.20. It
sure has been fluctuating a lot lately.
So, I spent much of the
late morning out in the yard planting, weeding, and watering. I was tired after
that, so went inside and took a nap with the pups and when getting up at 4:30,
I took all but Lulubelle for an afternoon walk. She was weirded out by the weather
although it was sunshiny out.
After fixing their
supper, I decided to clean the front room really well and I accidently knocked
over the standing pole lamp that Kyle and Danny Montoya bought that Kyle didn’t
want. It shattered the class lamp shade so I had to get rid of it. Also, I
noticed that my fig tree plant I had for over 30 years finally died. I had it from my days at the LaFrance
Apartments days.
I mopped, vacuum, and
dusted the front room really well and was too tired to continue with the
kitchen which will be for another day. When Kyle came home, I told him about
the Pride Day Tickets that Michael Aaron sent me and I gave them to him.
I had two emails today
one regarding the video I did for some U of U college students in an
Investigative Reporting Class who had asked
me to speak to them about being Gay in the 1970s. I was familiar with U of U
back then as I was the food service manager of the Huddle, a hamburger grill in
the Union Building and later worked doing concert and sports set up in the
Special Events Center. These students were investigating unsolved Gay murders
from over 40 years ago. Another was from Wes Long regarding the City Weekly’s
Pride Issue that had an article on MCC.
Well May has ended and most of my irises have faded but my roses are in full bloom as are my poppies. My vegetable garden is starting to take off too.
JUNE
The pups all enjoying this first day of June as
was I. I made Adrian Villalobos’ breakfast way too early again because I forget
he doesn’t have to be at school until 9.
It was sunny out this
morning so took the pups for a walk and then worked some outside. June is
busting out all over as I walked through my front yard where I like to sit
beneath my shade tree and see what has bloomed and what has faded away. By July
most of the colors will be gone.
I cut back all the
Irises that had faded all ready but my roses are in full bloom. I watered my
little vegetable garden and after doing a little clean up I sat for a bit. Then
I noticed that Kyle Foote had replaced the American and Pride Flags. He found a
Gay Pride Flag with the original 8 colors that debuted at the Gay Freedom Day
Parade in SF in 1978. Each of the original eight colors had their own unique
symbolism. Hot pink: sex; Red: life; Orange: healing; Yellow: sunlight; Green:
nature; Turquoise: magic and art; Indigo: serenity; and Violet: spirit.
I
then went inside the house and finished cleaning the dining room and kitchen,
mopping the floors and such. I was scrubbing and cleaning the deck of where the
pups had pooped when Kyle came home and we went for a drink at Common Cents.
I
talked to Mike Romero some today about logistics about getting to the Hyatt
tomorrow and I decided just to drive us because taking an Uber would cost
almost as much as parking. Mike said his camper was ready and he was taking it
out up to Perry Utah but will come back in time tomorrow for the wedding.
I
took a nap in the afternoon and when I was up, I took the pups except for
Lulubelle for another walk. The weather had turned dark with thunder so she was
too weirded out to go but it never rained and soon even cleared up.
Kyle
and Adrian were home and, in the evening, Kyle wanted me to go with them to
Trolley Square so he could get a beard trim because Adrian wanted him too. He
looked fine to me. Anyway, Adrian was so nervous and excited about tomorrow and
called me his “little grandpa” in Spanish. Seems strange to be called Grandpa
but I guess that is what I am since I am almost 50 years older than Adrian.
After
Kyle was finished, we went to McDonalds on 5th South because we were
a bit hungry. Inside McDonalds was almost all computerized with order kiosks
and it looked so futuristic. It certainly was not the McDonalds I was used to
and the food was kind of crappy. While the place looked modern it was not very
clean inside and had a lot of “sketchy” people there.
Afterwards we went to
the Hyatt Hotel so I could see the layout for tomorrow and on the 6th
Floor we went outside on the roof top and I could look down Second South. How
different it looked with all the new high rise apartments.
Back at the house, Kyle
wanted a run through of tomorrows ceremony and a practice. My part is that I
will welcome people, ask if they have vows, then ask if they will take each
other, exchange rings, and then pronounce them married.
Adrian’s knees were
shaking. So, I am finally marrying Kyle, perhaps not how I expected but good
enough. Bill Poore if he had a grave would be rolling over in it.
Mayor Mendenhall said
that more households in Salt Lake have dogs than children... no wonder I love
Salt Lake.
2 June 2023 Friday
I performed the marriage of Kyle Foote and
Adrian Villalobos this evening. So, I ended up marrying Kyle after all these years
in a way I least expected. I could not be any happier for them as they are my
family for better or worse.
I
was kind of anxious all day knowing that I was expected to perform the wedding
this evening as it seemed kind of surreal to me, that this was not make believe
but actually a legally binding ceremony. I’ve known Gay Marriage in theory
since 2013 but this is the first time it meant anything to me.
I
was up too early around 4:30 because I couldn’t sleep any longer. Did my
morning routine and walked the pups. I had cleaned the house really well
yesterday so I just spent some time in the front yard enjoying my pretty
flowers.
In
the afternoon Kyle and Adrian had some gal come to the house to do make up for
their wedding. I never met her as I stayed in my room with the pups out of the
way. Before she came over, I saw that a tow truck had pulled up in front of the
house and Kyle went out to deal with it. I asked later whether he was behind on
payments again but he managed to pay right there to get caught up. It’s always
one crisis after another. Later that night talking to his sister she said that
Kyle is always living on the edge and That is so true. After they were done
with makeup, off they went to pick up their flowers and a boutonniere for me.
I
finally decided to dress around 4 after feeding the pups early. I wore the only
nice outfit I have, some tan colored pants, my grey sweater, and I wore my silk
Nordstrom tie I bought back in 1986 as one of my first purchases after coming
out of the closet and separating from Fran. I spent $35 on that tie which was a
huge amount back then.
Mike
Romero came over about 4:30 to drop Coco off and Kyle and Adrian came out and
they looked so handsome in their matching light blue suits and bowties. Everything
they had on was matching from their brown shoes, socks, and white shirts.
Well
Mike and I drove into town and we parked in the City Creek Mall underground car
park near the Nordstrom’s entrance in a very convenient spot. Parking there was
only $2 an hour compared to the $25 at the Hyatt.
The
city was festive with rainbow flags and colors for Pride Weekend. The kick off
spot for the parade was on First South and West Temple with a huge balloon
rainbow arch over the stage set in the street.
The
city was bustling on the Friday late afternoon and we made our way down West
Temple to the entrance of the Hyatt. Inside was beautiful as it had only opened
last October so everything as still shiny and new. The reception desk had
rainbow colored lights which was a nice touch.
We
sat in the lobby waiting and just people watched, coming, and going. I thought
it was interesting how dressed down everyone was compared to suits and ties
people would have worn just years ago.
Kyle
and Adrian showed up just a little after we got there and soon the wedding photographers
came who were Portuguese speaking from Brazil.
We continued to sit
while Kyle was having some difficulty paying for their rooms for the night as
his card was being held up and he was on the phone trying to find out why. I
went over and paid for the rooms myself, just to take care of it. That was
nearly $300. They then wandered around having wedding pictures taken.
T J Otaka and Jim
McMillan soon arrived around 6:30 and we all went upstairs to the 6th
Floor where I was surprised to see Jamie Fultz and another woman already there
in the lounge. It was not long before most all had arrived. On Kyle’s side
there was his sister, a woman named Rachel he knew from Club Verse, TJ, Jim, Mike,
and me. The only person I knew on Adrian’s side was his brother in law’s
brother in Law Leonardo who had come to Christmas dinner last year. A woman from
El Salvador that Adrian knew from his Horizontal English class and a family of a
man and woman and a toddler made up his side. There was this Chinese gal too
there that I didn’t know whose side she belonged to. Kyle, I guess knows her
through his business contacts.
Of course, Kyle and
Adrian had a communication device to televise the event to his family in
Columbia. It was a bilingual affair for
sure.
Kyle
had us all go out on to the huge Patio to the west and stand by the mural there
for some group photos before going into the restaurant and onto the balcony.
The only hold up was that Kyle forgot the rings and had to go back down to his
car to retrieve them.
Finally, we were ready
to begin and Kyle and Adrian looked so dashing and nervous as they held each
other’s hands as the guests looked on. So, I began by welcoming people to
witness the joining of the two in marriage. I then had them repeat their vows
to each other and Kyle was so nervous that even when I was standing right by him,
I hardly could hear him not that it matter as he spoke them in Spanish. Then Adrian,
who spoke louder repeated his. I had them exchange their rings and asked if
they excepted each other as husband and husband, which they did so I pronounced
them married and they kissed.
Afterwards
TJ and Jim signed the Wedding Certificate as the witnesses and then we all went
in to sit down at a long table set up for the dinner. We toasted with champagne
and sparkling juice the newlyweds. The
Spanish speakers kind of grouped together on one side of the table near Adrian and
Kyle’s friends were across from them down at the end where Kyle was. Mike, Jim,
TJ, Jamie, and I all kind of sat together to visit.
The Mar Muntanya restaurant
served a Northern Spanish variety of dishes to sample Tapia style. We had appetizers,
fried papas, squash, butter shrimp, Basque Style Chuleton (Ribeye) steak,
salmon, mussels in a rice dish Paella, We ended with three types of desserts, bread
pudding, churros, and cheese cake. I really just took a bite or two of
everything which was delicious but mainly was just enjoying the company even
though I was winding down.
It was good to visit
with Jamie again. TJ sat near her and they visited a lot. I know it had to have
meant a lot for her to come her scallywag brother’s Gay wedding.
We were there much
longer than I thought we would be but the food was served in stages. It was
after 10 when the party broke up. Jamie had to get back to North Salt Lake and
TJ and Jim had to catch Traxx to head back to Daybreak.
Mike and I then left
the party that was ending too. I carried the boys packages back to where we
parked. There was music in the city and a gorgeous full moon out.
Mike was having trouble
walking a bit so we stopped a few times. Since it was after 10, Nordstrom was
closed the way we came out earlier so we had to go find the FIT in the
underground parking. I flagged down golfcart attendant and told her we lost our
way. She drove us to where we had parked. I didn’t want Mike to be walking
around trying to find it. Old people LOL.
Anyway, all was well that ended well I drove
us home. Mike had left his trailer at a camp ground in Perry near Willard Bay
but decided just to spend the night at his place rather than drive back up.
Kyle and Adrian spent
their “honeymoon” night at the Hyatt. Kyle is now a legally married man and I
hope he does right by sweet Adrian and stays out of trouble. I told Jamie and I
believe it that they both are so in love.
What a strange journey
my life with Kyle has been. If Bill Poore had a grave, he’d be turning over in
it.
I
had a much more low key day today. I stayed in bed until nearly 7 because I
went to bed so late last night, after 1, because I was too keyed up to sleep. I
had walked the pups and was fussing in the garden when Kyle Foote and Adrian
Villalobos came home around 11. Kyle hurried off to a meeting and when he came back
home, I didn’t see the pair for much of the rest of the day. They weren’t
honeymooning as much as were exhausted from last night and drinking too much
champagne.
This afternoon a huge thunderhead loomed
over the city and the Pride Day at Washington Square had to be evacuated
because of wind and lightning although out here we hardly had a drop. The grounds reopened in the late afternoon.
Roy Zang wrote on Face Book "Today at the Utah Pride
Festival entry gate, we shielded youth from the view of hate preachers – with
rainbow umbrellas and zero engagement, resulting in them giving up and fucking
right off.” I wrote him, “So happy I have radical friends with Queer Nation
activism still in their blood.” Robert Moolman wrote, “Not all hero’s wear
capes!!!”
I really didn’t do much today
although I had to go to Lucky’s to get the pup’s some chicken. I thought I had
some down in the garage’s refrigerator but didn’t. Lulubelle didn’t eat any
supper at all so I think she must be weirded out by the weather.
I called Chuck Whyte in the evening
to check in on him. He’s still peeved that Pride Center didn’t give VIP passes
to Kristen Ries Recipients like in the past.
He said he didn’t go to the gala dinner either as he didn’t have the mean
or money to take a taxi or an uber.
I started watching a murder mystery on
Net Flix after finishing reading Cuban Teresa Dovalpage’s novel Queen of Bones
which takes place in Havana. It was interesting but kind of dry with lots of
references to Santeria a Cuban based religion.
It’s Pride Weekend and while I wish everyone
a happy pride at my age, I am a homosectional happy to sit in my lazy boy sectional
and let the parade pass me by.
Today is mom’s birthday mom she would have been 94 years
old. Thanks for having me.
I always like Bobbie Gentry’s Ode to Billy Joe. “It was the
third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day, I was out choppin' cotton, and
my brother was balin' hay, And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the
house to eat, And mama hollered out the back door, y'all, remember to wipe your
feet, And then she said, I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge, Today,
Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.” In the movie version
of the song, Robby Benson played Billy Joe as gay.
Something was going on outside at 1 in
the morning that sent the pups barking out into the backyard. I was too sleepy
to investigate but had a fitful sleep afterward.
I
was up around 7 and fixed some fried potatoes, a scramble egg, and an English
Muffin which I had with my coffee.
I
was waiting for Kyle Foote and Adrian Villalobos to stir as Kyle wanted me to
drive with them to the Pride Parade and pick them up later. I was trying to be
pleasant making conversation from the backseat and I wanted to tell Kyle about
Roy Zang’s actions with the umbrellas yesterday and when I said Roy and his
Chinese husband, Kyle immediately criticized me for saying Chinese husband and
not simply husband saying I sounded racist. I just clammed up after that
because Kyle always has to criticize any innocent comments I make or contradict
me. Like the other day at McDonalds when he criticized me for looking at this
sketchy guy with tattoos all over his face, he sat right near us when the place
was basically empty and he could have sat anywhere. It’s not like I had a
disapproval look, I was just being observant and told Kyle anybody with that
many tattoos on his face wants to be looked at.
Anyway,
I just shut my mouth after that, not really mad but just resigned to not
comment or express an opinion around him.
After his circuitous route
all over downtown before getting out on Fourth East and South Temple, I then got
into the driver seat and drove home. I went down Fifth East and had to go all
the way down to Eight South because all the other streets in between South
temple and 700 South were closed to west bound traffic because of the parade.
I
wrote on Face Book, "Driving around down town I was amazed at the number
of people walking towards Pride Day at Washington Square. I saw people, hundreds with children and
strollers, walking as far as 7th south and 3rd north and 4th west to 5th west
just where I had to drive to get back home...
How interesting it was
to see how the day went from a Day in the Park 40 years ago where when the wind
blew some gay literature off the table, people scrambled to retrieve it lest
straights saw the papers. Or my 1st pride in ‘86 when undercover cops took
pictures and surveillance at Pioneer Park. Or how the Gay and Lesbian Community
Council made pride day a subcommittee
and provided it free for 13 years. I have to look back and be proud of what we
pioneers did to get us where we are today... we actually were showing Utah we
existed when we were not wanted.
All those people are
going to have fun and celebrate today have so many of us seniors now to thank
and so many more who have passed away. But actually, it is thanks enough to see
how it’s become the second largest event in Utah."
Around 2, Kyle called
to come pick them up at the Grand America where they had walked over to, which
I did. Earlier I had put on a pot roast but neither of them came up to eat and I spent the rest of the
day with my pups.
T J Otaka wrote me, “Saw
your post on FB about the drive this morning. Loved it as you wrote it so
eloquently. However, they will try to rewrite the history, you are absolutely
right. You guys planted the seed and it has grown so huge today. You laid the
foundation for our community to grow in SLC. Without that, Jim and I might not
have moved here in 2013. So let us thank you a big time. Happy Pride.”
Roy Zang also sent me this
after I saw that he had more helpers today, “Yes, we did today !!! It was it
was successful, the Jesus Thumpers left in shame surrounded by rainbow
umbrellas just like yesterday.”
It was a warm day around 87 degrees but
pleasant out. I fixed Adrian Villalobos his usual breakfast this morning. I
just love that boy. I walked the pups and was working in the side parking strip
when Mike Romero drove over with his truck and camper. He had taken it down to
the RV place to have them fix some minor repairs. He asked if I would take him
to Smith’s in Woods Cross later to pick up his groceries. He never goes in the
store anymore but just goes on line to order and then to pick up. He didn’t want
to unhitch the camper so I said I would, which I did later in the afternoon.
I
went to the library to check out some more mysteries and then to the Rose Park
Smiths to get some treats for the pups and some other groceries. I spent $20 on
the pups, which was half of what I spent on groceries for the household.
I
read for some of the day and didn’t get a nap in because of the errands I did
with Mike who went to a campground at Coalville for a couple of days.
Adrian
was gone most of the day but was home around 4:30 and he had some of the roast
beef left from yesterday. When Kyle Foote came home after 7 he ate left over
steak from Friday’s wedding banquet. We visited a bit so I guess I am over
being pissed. Kyle is Kyle. What more can I say? I can’t stop loving him just
because he sometimes acts like a jerk, because the good times outweighs the bad
times.
Chuck
Whyte called in the evening and we visited a bit about Pride Day. He went to it
with Steven “Chevy” Bolinder and had a nice time I suppose although he said it
was so expensive. A barbeque sandwich and a drink cost him $20 as well as the $15 admission fee. Oh well. I
told him there never will be Pride Days again like we held and enjoyed.
Made breakfast for Adrian Villalobos and
walked all the pups this morning as it was quite warm out already. Afterwards I
went to Sutherlands this morning after fussing in the front yard, mowing, and
weeding. All their plants were half off
so I bought 3 Aspen saplings for $8 apiece, a lily, and some succulents. I
planted the saplings in the front yard along the fence. My irises are about
done but my Empress of India clematis hasn’t even bloomed yet.
After
I was done, I was inside for much of the afternoon reading and napping. Around
4 I took the pups for a walk but Lulubelle didn’t want to come. The sky was
full of dark clouds and it was windy. Even Maxx was kind of acting strangely
due to the weather. It was just shortly after making it home the heavens opened
up and rain was coming down in buckets here at North Point, a real belly washer,
flooding the streets. It was like a monsoon rain and I hadn’t seen one like
that here in years. It lasted about 15 minutes before it stop. The temperature
had dropped from 90 degrees to 70 degrees.
I
then fed the pups and hurried off to the Gay Men’s Support Group to be there by
6:30. There was a sizable turn out of about 15 guys with about 2 new ones. The
Topic was what people thought about Pride Day and whether people went or not.
It seemed that many felt it was not as fun as was last year and was too
expensive. Bill Blevins led the meeting.
I
was home by 8:30 and I fixed me a small plate of cheese and salami as I hadn’t
eaten any dinner. I kept hearing Mexican music from outside so I went on the
veranda. As the sun sank slowly in the west, I was being serenaded in my
diverse west Salt Lake neighborhood on
this lovely evening. There must have been a party a few houses away. The sky
was absolutely gorgeous.
In
the news a major damn was blown up in the Ukraine by suspected Russian
terrorist flooding much of the countryside. The Human Rights Coalitions issued
a statement that nationally Gays and Trans are under attack by right wing
extremists.
It was a very pleasant day here in Salt
Lake but back East especially in New York City, smoke from fires in Canada has
blanketed the city. It must be super miserable there.
I
went over to Mike Romero’s place and dug up a few shoots of Russian Sage that I
had transplanted from my house when I had so much on my curb. I wanted to plant
them in a container pot for my curb. I won’t make the mistake of just letting
them spread.
Besides
getting some items for Adrian Villalobos’ breakfast and lunches and a drink
from Common Cents I never left the house after that besides walking the pups
around the block a couple of times.
So,
it was an uneventful day, never saw they boys except for Adrian when I fixed his
breakfast and when he came home from school. I read a lot from Finlay Donovan
Jumps the Gun, a novel by Elle Cosimano who I have read some of her books
before.
I forgot with all the hubbub
from Kyle Foote’s wedding that his sister told me that Dorothy Pratt had died
this year so I looked up her obituary and she died February 10. She was a good
friend to me while I was at Washington Elementary, actually championing me
getting the job. She was a remarkable woman. Her obituary said that her
dementia began to set in as early at 2010 and I know Liz Beck wanted me to stop
using her as a substitute for my class. I will always remember her fondly as
her folks founded the Pace hamburger and ice cream joint in Bountiful.
8 June 2023 Thursday
After fixing Adrian Villalobos his breakfast
and walking the pups I decided to mow the weeds in the backyard. It’s about the
only thing growing back there. Long gone are my lush green yard, trees, and
garden.
I
was super tired after having to drag the electric lawn mower up the concrete
steps and over the wires to contain the pups where Kyle Foote was supposed to
have built a fence. I tried to use the battery one Kyle has stored beneath the
veranda but that was no use.
I
read then for much of the day, feeling a bit dizzy, I took lots of naps, and
really didn’t eat much at all. Didn’t interact with anyone but my pups. In the
late afternoon, another quick thunder shower came over the house so when I
walked the pups Lulubelle was too afraid to go even when it dried up.
About
the only housework I did today was change the sheets and remade the bed.
While watch Nora
O’Donnell’s CBS News, there was breaking news around 5:45 that interrupted that
Trump has been indicted by the Justice Department finally, and it might as well
have been for treason.
It kind of over
shadowed the news that Pat Robertson, the fascist evangelist, and Christian
Coalition founder, died at the age of 93. Now he can burn in hell. “Pat
Robertson Is Dead Everyone”=PRIDE.
9 June 2023 Friday
The weather was pleasant and a bit cooler than
yesterday. Today is my sister Charline’s 76th birthday. Yesterday
Adrian Villalobos asked me to fix him breakfast because he wanted to be at the
gym by 8. I did, but it was way after 8:30 before he even came up. He and Kyle
Foote were going to take Adrian’s car in to have his brakes looked at and also
Kyle was meeting with the wife of his old mission president for lunch so Adrian
had to be back at the house by 10:30. However we didn’t even leave until after
9 o’clock. So, I drove him to his gym in Woods Cross, came home and walked the
pups then almost had to turn around to go back to pick Adrian up at 10:15.
I
was surprised that he was ready as Adrian runs a lot on Gay Standard Time also
known as late. Anyway, after that I rested before deciding to go get a Dr.
Pepper at Common Cents when Kyle called and said he had dropped off some tree
saplings that Dierdre Paulsen had given him that she had gotten for Arbor Day.
One was a Norwegian Pine and not sure what the others were but planted them in
the front yard anyway. Maybe they will make it but anyway I won’t live to see
them mature.
I
was home alone for most of the day reading from Finlay the Donovan’s Series
which I finished this evening and did some research on William Miller Ferguson
this man who was a barber and had a shop on Second South at the turn of the 20th
Century.
Supper time at the
House of the Barking Dogs...macaroni with fried chicken and pork chops seems to
be a hit tonight...I am having M&Ms
The Indictment against Trump for espionage was
unsealed today. Sen. Mike Lee has his head so far up Trumps ass blaming the
Biden Administration for the indictment saying they are acting like South
American countries... at least Sen. "Corporations Are People" Romney
said Trump brought it on himself. Any Trump supporter at this point is either a
fascist, evil, or a moron.
I can’t believe the
amount of books being banned in public schools. Is it just me or does it seem
hypocritical that the extreme Conservative Moms for Liberty hate group are
against a liberal education for their kids and others?
10 June 2023 Saturday
This morning I loaded up the electric lawn
mower into the Honda FIT and drove over to Mike Romeros place to mow his lawn.
When I got there, I was surprised to see his truck there because I thought he
was still camping. I started to mow anyway and he came out and helped move the
cord around as I mowed his little front, side and back yard which is mostly
weeds and not grass anymore. All the rain we have had in the past few days made
everything pop since the last time I mowed.
Anyway
afterwards, I went inside and visited some. He said he came back last Wednesday
because his refrigerator was not keeping food cold so he brought it back to the
dealer. He said he probably will just stay close to home this year and may not
go to Colorado to visit his brother.
After I left, I stopped on the way home at Smith’s and filled the tank
up as I was almost on empty. With a 10 cent discount I paid $4.05 a gallon.
After
coming back to the house, I watered the newly planted seedling trees and sat
for a while under my shade tree. I was tired all of a sudden. It got warm today
but pleasant around 85 degrees.
My
zucchini plants are really starting to take off now and my sunflowers are about
3 and half feet tall now. My Empress of India has started to bloom its showy
purple flowers finally.
In
the house I heated up a burritos that Kyle Foote had left in the fridge down in
the garage and tried to start a new book but felt sleepy so I took a nap. I was
wakened by acid reflex from I think the burrito and had a sour stomach for the
rest of the day.
Adrian
Villalobos came up around 4:30 and asked if I would help him with pronouncing
some verbs on flash cards he had made. He was learning past and past
participles.
He
lamenting that there wasn’t any cokes downstairs so I suggested we go to the
store which we did. There I bought him some coca cola, sprite, and Orange Fanta
cases and other groceries for him.
Back
at the house he fried up some Venezuela breaded cheese and other South America food.
We visited some using the Say Hi app. He said his car is paid for now and he is
only sending money to his mother now and pay off the money that was used to get
him here. I learned a bit more about him, that he is the youngest in his family
and his four older siblings are nearly 10 years or more older than him and he
was a surprise baby to his mother. His sister is trying to come to the states
to join Adrian’s brother in law and is trying to bring his three teenage nieces
and a nephew with her.
Kyle
came home around 7 and said he had a busy day at Loco Burger reprograming their
menu as they have a new French fries on their menu. He ate a tomato and avocado salad and
disappeared with Adrian downstairs.
11 June 2023 Sunday
This morning I was out early walking the pups,
then watering the front yard. Kyle Foote came up to make Adrian Villalobos breakfast
of pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Afterwards he asked if I would go with
him to the Kearns Loco Burger and then down to Mi Ranchito in South Jordan
because Adrian didn’t want to go. We took the Honda FIT and it was a really
pleasant day out. Kyle needed to deliver some shoestring French fries to the Kearns
location and he wanted to spray paint some light fixtures at Mi Ranchito that
is closed on Sundays. I mostly just went along for the ride.
Back
at the house, after eating some lunch I decided to nap and while I was, a
rainstorm blew in because I could hear it beat against the house. When it
cleared up around 6, I took the boy pups for another walk then fed them their
supper. The weather weirds Lulubelle out.
It
was a nice day but nothing exciting except that Jim Dabakis asked me if I
wanted tickets to see Le Miz at the Eccles theater June 25th. I am
not sure if he will be back or if he will just send me tickets.
12 June 2023 Monday
I finally finished the research I did on
William Miller Ferguson who was a barber on Second South over 100 years ago. I
had worked on it for and put it off for over a week. In the afternoon I went to
the store and got some more groceries and items to make some lasagna for Adrian
Villalobos and Kyle Foote.
Around 6 this early evening I was checking my
phone messages as I wanted to let Kyle and Adrian know I made some lasagna,
when I noticed that that Kimball Edwards had left me a message. He asked if I
would come over to give him a massage. Since he had the day off, I said I would.
I was kind of surprised that he had asked me to come over so I was there a
little after 7:00 and stayed until 9:30.
He said he hurt his hip and leg and they were sore so he wanted me to massage
them. We got naked right away and went into bed then I went to work on his
beautiful athletic body. I know he loves my caresses as much as my massages.
The
time I was there we kissed and cuddle and talked about our lives. He said he
went to Pride Day and enjoyed it although it was $30 for him to get in. He said
he went with an older guy who I’m sure helped pay the cost.
Kimball
isn’t looking for a sugar daddy. He genuinely prefers the company, sexually and
otherwise of old Gay men. I am not jealous at all but am happy that he’s young
and exploring life. He said he went down to Tucson Arizona about a week ago to
spend 2 days with a man in his 70’s. I suppose he met him on line. I was a
little amazed that he said his favorite date is this 90 year old man. We talked
about his attraction to not just older men but way older men. It just goes to
show there is someone for everyone and I am sure these men he has affairs with
are as grateful as I am for having a younger handsome Gay man be attracted to
them. I am sure it makes them still feel kind of young.
Kimball
asked if I would ever want a relationship with someone and I said probably not at
my age. I am so set in my ways now. It’s enough to spend the occasional time
with Kimball. I asked him if the other men talk to him as much as I do and he
admitted they didn’t. I think they enjoy him for the sex, and I think he enjoys
me because I care about him, interested in his life, and he loves me caressing
his body and my kissing. Besides, he said I am the best massager so there’s
that.
He’s
leaving in a week or so to visit the Pacific Northwest because he’s thinking of
moving away. I told him I would really miss him but as someone told me years
ago you can’t stop progress. He has his whole life ahead of him. So, I had a pleasant evening pleasing
Kimball and I was home a little before 10 and when I pulled into the garage, I
saw that Kyle’s Terrain was gone so they must have also gone out.
I
saw that the actor Treat Williams died in a motorcycle accident. He was 71
years old and I loved him in The Ritz and Hair.
13 June 2023 Tuesday
I went to the Gay Men’s Support Group tonight
and there was about 12 people there and we discussed what we do to support
people. It was an interesting meeting and I am glad I went because it’s about the
only space I get any Queer Energy anymore. When
I came home, Adrian Villalobos was having his supper and he asked if he could
have $200 to pay his mother and I said I’d go to the bank tomorrow to get the
money. I finished watching the HBO series “the Plumbers” about E Howard Hunt
and G Gordon Liddy. It was pretty good. Made me realize that Republicans have
always been evil. TJ has been having a hard time catching his breath again which
worries me and Lulubelle just doesn’t like to go out in the afternoon for
walks.
14 June 2023 Wednesday
I went to the America First Credit Union within
Lee’s market to withdraw $200 for Adrian Villalobos. Then back at the house
this morning I pruned my Rose bushes, planted my tomato plants that I started
from shoots, and also took some honeysuckle cuttings from Carlos Bahena’s bush
to see if I can get some “starts” off of it. Around noon it began to rain a bit
but cleared up when Mike Romero came over to drop Coco off. He had to go to the
clinic in South Jordan to have his catheter changed.
I
started reading an Agatha Raisin mystery today and didn’t leave the house
except to walk the pups. I just wasn’t in the mood even though I wanted to get
some Chinese food, go to Sutherlands, and get a drink but I guess not enough to
venture out.
Adrian
Villalobos had breakfast that I fixed and went to the gym. I saw Kyle Foote
briefly around 7 this evening when he came home and had some left over lasagna
for his supper. He said Mi Ranchito hired him for consulting as well as the
Lulu’s Hot Sandwiches place.
I was in Salt Lake City
in 1978 when Blacks were allowed to hold the Mormon Priesthood on this day. I remember
all the hateful things being said at the time about it. I suppose 45 years ago
the Mormon God stopped being a racist.
The cynics among us
always believed the revelation came because Kinte Kunta Kimball was found on
the Kimball family tree. You have to
remember ROOTS to get it.
My first reaction was
damn... there goes the old Joke only Mormons got...Do you know why crows are
black? Because they refused to eat crickets in the pre-existence... hahaha... don’t
get it? You were never a Mormon...Leave it to Mormons to kill a joke and be a
buzz kill.
15 June 2023 Thursday
It’s been raining all morning, a good steady
rain. When it cleared up, I took the pups out for a walk and then went down to Lucky’s
to buy ingredients to make Sulado de Pollo a Colombian dish for Adrian
Villalobos then went to Sutherland’s and bought some grass seeds and bird seeds
that I threw out all over the back yard. With all the rain we have had lately I
am hoping some of it will sprout to green up the side yard to keep the mud
down.
I
finished reading M C Beaton’s “Beating Around the Bush”. I may have read it
once before a long time ago but if I did I had forgotten it. Adrian said he
loved the chicken stew. I suppose it reminded him of home.
In
the evening Kyle Foote asked if I wanted to go out to dinner with him and
Adrian. I wasn’t hungry but I tagged along just to be with them . Adrian wanted
to go to Olive Garden in Bountiful so we did. I didn’t order anything but just
shared some breadsticks and some of their salad as that Adrian doesn’t like
lettuce salads.
Afterwards
they needed to go grocery shopping so we went off to Walmart in Centerville. I
wanted to get some Caesar dog food for Lulubelle and treats for the rest of the
pups. Besides groceries, Kyle and Adrian bought staples and personal item. I
was going to pay for my stuff but Kyle said he would. Their bill came to $289.
I was shocked that it was so much.
Anyway, we came back
home and I read some and finished my book. Jim Dabakis sent me his tickets to
Le Miz which I gave to Kyle so he could
take Adrian. Jim said he was in Mexico again but will come back to Salt Lake
sometime in July
16 June 2023 Friday
I had to keep the pups shut in my room this
morning because Kyle Foote asked if I would so he could sleep in and not hear
them bark like they do. When he did get up he went to Discount Tires with
Adrian Villalobos to get new tires for his vehicle as Adrian’s were all bald.
Adrian went to the gym next door in Woods Cross and Kyle came home to take
Persephone to the Warm Springs vet for a checkup and allergy shots. I went with
him as its almost as traumatizing for him as it is for the cat.
Back
home, still in the morning, I went to the Rose Park Library and dropped off
three books and checked out four more mysteries. I also went to Dollar Tree
store to look around while out to buy a high school graduation card so I could
send $50 to my grandniece, Dee Jones, my sister Donna’s granddaughter. Their
shelves were nearly empty so I wonder what is up with that.
Back
at the house I read for much of the day “Hot to Trot”, an Agatha Raisin series,
one I think that was written after M.C. Beaton’s death by a colleague. In the
afternoon Mike Romero called to see if I knew how to get his Lesbian aunt Alice
Romero’s phone number as the one he had doesn’t work. I guess he just wanted to
reconnect with her in Seattle. I didn’t although I looked up her address on
Ancestry.com.
This evening I saw that
Donna had tried to call me so I called her back. She wanted to know if I heard
that Denise’s ‘granddaughter’ had died of Leukemia back in North Carolina. I
said that Denise had told me a few days ago. I never knew the girl or even
heard of her so she must have been Denise’s partners granddaughter as that Denise
only has that toddler grandson. We visited a bit. Nothing new just told her I
sent her granddaughter some money. Dee is trying to get into the Arts program
at Cal-State Long Beach. I told Donna that today is Grandma Johnson’s birthday.
She was born 124 years ago as a twin to her brother Jesse.
Anyway,
it was a pretty day here in the west while back east, tornadoes, hail, and
floods have been causing havoc in the south. Alexander McCaskill a former
producer of Carlson Tucker show was fired by Fox for authoring the “wannabe
dictator” scroll about President Biden on their “news.” What a vile human being
for being so young and handsome.
Daniel Ellsberg died at the age of
93. He will always be a hero to me for exposing the failures of the Vietnam War
with the Pentagon Papers in 1971 which eventually helped bring down Nixon
because of E Howard Hunt and G Gordon Liddy, the bungling Watergate burglars.
17 June 2023 Saturday
I only worked on the research I did on Leonidas
Skliris the Czar of the Greeks for most of the day and in the evening finished
reading “Hot to Trot.” That was
about as much effort as I could put in to the day. It was a beautiful day out for
the pups to go walking and in the late afternoon I went to Lucky’s because we
were out of eggs and Adrian goes through them like crazy. Roasted chicken
thighs and buttered macaroni was a hit with the pups tonight... I think they love me. I felt good today, just
didn’t want to go anywhere.
18 June 2023 Sunday
I’ve been super tired for the past couple of
days, really lethargic, too weary to even go get my Dr Pepper fix. Lost any
appetite and just want to nap...old age is finally catching up with me... I
think my shelf life expiration date is not that far off... probably just self-imposed
cabin fever...just don’t seem to have much interest in things I once
did...oh well as the Beatles said Life goes
on within you and without you.
Today
is Father’s Dy which means very little when I have no more Father, uncles, or
grandpas. Days like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day are kind of melancholy for
those of us who have lost all of the generation before us. It was supposed to
get up to 90 today but never did, barely reaching 80 and in the 70s for most of
the day because of the clouds that threatened rain but never did.
Mike
Romero called in the afternoon to ask me if I’d take Coco for about a week. He
found his Aunt’s phone number and contacted her for him to come visit Seattle
for Pride Day. He thought the trip might be too hard on Coco.
I
slept and rested a lot today but did find the energy to walk the pups twice otherwise
I just curled up in my lazy boy or bed. Kyle Foote and Adrian Villalobos left
the house early around 7 this morning so I didn’t see them until this evening
when they came back home from working all day at Mi Ranchitos in South Jordan. They
stayed upstairs eating a pizza and visiting, wanting to spend some time with me
for Father’s Day.
Adrian’s sister, two
nieces and nephew are crossing through the jungles of Panama on their journey
to come to the United States. Adrian is worried because where they are is the
most dangerous part of the passage. They left Columbia and are trying to get to
Utah where Adrian’s brother in law is now.
I
finished the research on Leonidas Skliris finally and posted it on my West
Second South site and on the People from Utah’s Past site. That took a lot out
of me. I was too tired to even read today.
19 June 2023 Monday
It felt like Santa Ana winds all day like we
get in Southern California. Winds were whipping around all day and they were a
warm wind sapping every bit of moisture from the ground and plants. Sterling Poulson the KUTV weatherman said it
got up to 91 degrees but a cold front came in around 5 and started dropping the
temperature. I didn’t see Kyle Foote at all today and Adrian only briefly when
he was doing some cleaning this afternoon. He said a dead mouse was beneath the
lazy boy so after cleaning it up I did some mopping and cleaning myself.
I must be over my
malaise as I went out this evening and watered my garden then started pulling
weeds in my parking strip. I showed Brittany and Peter Nash who were out
walking the myrtle splurge and told them
to avoid it because it’s very caustic and told them how it sent me to the
emergency room over 13 years ago.
I had a good go at it weeding
until a brief shower sent me scurrying inside saying that was enough for the
day. I think I just needed to get my hands in the soil to get grounded again
and clear away any old age blues. I was surprised that he began to rain for
most of the evening.
It was time to get back
into my mystery novels as I read two Agatha Raisins series last week and I
tried starting a new cozy mystery tonight but not getting into it
Ron Holmgren suggested some books for me
saying, “I am reading Patrick F. McManus' Bo Tully mysteries. They take place
in Idaho. He is an outdoors writer, and his stories and articles are hilarious.
Another author I totally love is Laura Levine's books. If you like the sea,
Baja California, and great characters, read Jinx Schwartz books. I devoured
them. Also, Alex Kava is wonderful. Specially her series about the rescue dogs
and their trainer. I haven't read any of the series you are reading. Looking
for a new series, so maybe give her a try.”
I
had a message from Rick Egan, a gay acquaintance I have known for years but
only recently learned he was the brother of Elaine Day who I taught with at
Orchard Elementary back in the early
1990s. He said Elaine died last Saturday.
She was 10 years older than me and while we worked well together I didn’t
really care for her as she flaunted her Mormonism at school. She would put on
these elaborate 5th grade musical plays that I not being musical ended
up doing the sets and props and
basically corralling the kids. I eventually transferred to 4th grade
just to get away from her. We were both hired by Wayne Stanger in 1989 after I
left Sunset Elementary.
Today is the new
national holiday called “Juneteenth” to commemorate when the remaining slaves
in Texas learned that they were free but has come to be a holiday for the
ending of slavery in America. Not all states have adopted the holiday but
surprisingly Utah did. Maybe that makes up for the shameful way they handled
Martin Luther King’s birthday.
Why are most of the Red
States in the South? Oh yeah the old White Supremist Confederacy. My Southern Colonial heritage were people who
enslaved others to work their farms but you don't have to continually be reactionaries
and racist today.
My colonial relatives
intermarried with Native Americans and Free People of Color in North Carolina
but kept their social status as long as the fathers were white. Many also owned enslaved people.
American slavery was
the first slavery in the history of slavery where race was the determining factor for who was
enslaved and the basis of racism in America today.
My first Williams
American immigrant ancestor came to
Virginia in 1666 as an indentured servant contracted to work for a master but
being white was eventually freed once terms of his contract was fulfilled. He
became a successful planter himself but never owned slaves himself only
contracted indentured servants as he once was.
His descendants to compete in the agrarian economy of the old South were
the ones who started using enslaved labor.
None of my Williams
forebearers were slave owners at the time of the Civil War. He was a Baptist
preacher living in Alabama. All of his sons including my ancestor were
recruited to fight for the South in a misguided concept of patriotism to their
antebellum society. Another case of the
sons of the poor fighting a rich man's war.
20 June 2023 Tuesday
I posted on two Utah history sites my research
on Alek Geros that Greek man who operated the Salt Lake Café on Second South
from 1917 to about 1958. He was the longest resident of that section of Greek
Town.
It
was a really cool day only in the 70’s compared to the 90’s yesterday this last
day of Spring. My squash already have blossoms and some tomatoes are on the
vine. Adrian Villalobos went back to school this morning after fixing him his breakfast
but I didn’t see Kyle Foote until this evening.
I went to the Gay Men’s
Support Group tonight with Blair Bateman as facilitator and the topic was on
the Human Rights Campaign’s warning about the increase of hate against the LGBT
community nationally. My response was that I didn’t care what the HRC has to
say about anything. Still, it was a lively meeting and I am so proud of myself for having shut my mouth
and not correct Blair even though I knew he was in error saying that Wendover
was the largest inland base in the United States in WWII when actually it was
Kearns, Utah. But I thought I probably was the only one in the meeting who knew
that so why embarrass him and actually no one was going to care. I didn’t want
to be that “know it all” guy.
When
I came home Kyle came upstairs and told me that he had to have the Terrain
towed to Lodders in Bountiful because it wouldn’t start. He called me while I
was at the group but I left my phone in the car so I was unable to help. He got
Adrian to come get him. However tomorrow he wants me to go to Lodders in the
morning to bring them the key and have them talk to Kyle who has to be down at
Mi Ranchitos because they are supposed to open tomorrow for business. He’ll use Adrian’s car which means someone
will have to go pick him up from school tomorrow. It’s always something.
21 June 2023 Wednesday
I fixed Adrian Villalobos his breakfast and
Kyle Foote took him off to Salt Lake Community College while at 8 I was at
Lodders in Bountiful to drop off a key to the Terrain to have them look at it.
The kid said they were quite busy and it might not be until the end of the week
or next week before they can get to it. I was surprised that Mr. Lodder, who
owns the shop, said he remembered me from when I use to drop my vehicles off
when I worked at Washington.
From
there I drove by the old location of Washington Elementary and saw that the
entire area where the school and parking lot used to be was now a lawn for
Washington Park but they were building some structure where the parent parking
used to be. So many of my teaching colleagues have passed, Brenda Taua, Susan
McAdams, Dorothy Pratt, and Elaine Day. There are probably more that I haven’t
heard about.
I
then went over to the Smith’s Market Place I used to shop at and looked around
their garden center and bought two black eye Susan’s plants before coming back
home. It was nice out this morning and all the pups wanted to go for a morning constitutional
which I did before working in the yard. I
mostly pulled weeds and cleaned up the parking strip on the south side
of my property.
I
had to go down to SLCC by 1 to retrieve Adrian and bring him home. He asked if
I’d take him to the gym but said I couldn’t because I was meeting Mike Romero
to take him to lunch for his birthday but I said he could take the Honda FIT.
It was the first time he ever drove it and I was slightly nervous but I knew he
was 25 years old and is responsible.
Mike
came over about 2 and dropped Coco off who is going to be staying with me for
about a week. Chubby’s was not crowded at all and we ordered smothered burritos
and visited. He’s leaving out this afternoon for Seattle rather than try to do
the entire drive tomorrow. Lunch for the two of us was $30 plus I gave a $5
tip. Mike dropped me off at home where
Coco couldn’t see him leave and I came
in to take a nap.
Around
4, I took all the pups for their afternoon stroll, even Coco, so I was walking 5
dogs this afternoon. They did fine. But then back at home I saw that Adrian was
really sad because his sister and her 3 teenagers are in the jungle of
Panama trying to make their way north
and it’s been raining there. His 14 year old nephew Christian became separated in
the dangerous part of the jungle where there are no transportation methods and
no cell service.
However, his nephew was
taken in by an older man and he was able to contact Adrian who was desperate to
send him some money by Western Union. I drove him to Rose Park Smiths and their
service desk was closed, so we went to Lucky’s and their service desk was
closed also Adrian thought Walmart on Hope would be the closest Western Union
but I asked him to look up the Smith’s in Glendale and they did have a Western
Union office and when we arrived they were opened.
I am glad I went with
Adrian because he never would have been able to do this on his own as the man
at Smith’s who was helpful didn’t know Spanish. I translated the best I could
to both him and Adrian and so I was needed for the transaction. I went ahead
and wired $100 so his nephew can buy food.
If you have food, shelter, and a warm bed tonight be grateful. Adrian is just beside himself
worrying.
I wasn’t able to feed
the pups until after 6 almost 6:30 because of taking care of Adrian’s needs and
then just rested until Kyle came home from work. He said Mi Ranchito passed the
health inspection so now he can concentrate on the Lulu Pizzeria next door. Adrian
came up with a framed picture of Kyle, me and him from his wedding and he was
so proud of it. The three of us have made a family in my old age. Then Kyle
went off to have dinner with these Lesbians at Paxton Pub.
So that was my
adventure this longest day of the year when the northern hemisphere receives more light than darkness. In the northern pagan lore, the consort of the
goddess is at his full magnificence ...Merry Meet and Merry Part until we Merry
Meet again.
22 June 2023 Thursday
I was awake way too early at 4:30 and couldn’t
go back to sleep so rather than try, I got up and made a baker’s dozen of
blackberry muffins from scratch. Nutty I know. Then I worked on my research on
Nick Stathakos the Greek entrepreneur who lived on Second South until around 8
when I went and fixed Adrian Villalobos his breakfast of scrambled eggs, rice,
and cheese as well as his snack pack of a banana, tangerines, and watermelon
and pineapple chunks as well as a can of tuna. He’s in class until 1 in the
afternoon so he needs a snack in between his classes. I also packed him a
muffin.
Kyle
Foote took him to school and since I knew I would only have the FIT in the
morning I went to Lucky’s to buy chicken for the pups and groceries for Adrian.
Strange how my grocery shopping has switched from Kyle to Adrian.
Anyway,
it was warm already this morning and all the pups wanted to walk but Lulubelle
half way around the block took off ran way ahead of us all the way home to the
front porch. At least she ran home. I
watered some this morning, took out the trash cans to the curb and pulled some
weeds.
I
then received a text message that two of books I had ordered from the library
were already in at the Rose Park Branch so I took back all the books I hadn’t
read and probably wouldn’t to pick up the ones in. I had ordered one of David Rosenfeld’s
latest in the Andy Carpenter series and an Alex Kava’s novel one the authors that
Ron Holmstrom recommended.
Kyle
Foote called and said that the Western Union money transferred never went through
so after I picked up Adrian from college we went to the Glendale Smith’s to get
the $100 put back on my debit card and to try and send another transfer. Adrian
is thrilled that his sister and her kids are reunited and made it out of the
Panama jungle and has cell service again. His sister fell and hurt herself,
which was one of the reasons it was slow going. Once in Panama City they will
have transportation again. So, we sent $50 to the man who helped Adrian’s
nephew when he was separated from his mother.’
It
was nearly 2 in the afternoon when we finally were back at the house and I took
a nap and Adrian took the FIT off to the gym. I must have been really tired
from getting up so early because I slept until after 4:30 and then took the
pups except for Lulubelle on another excursion around the neighborhood. Coco
must have been tired because she was really going slow and stopping so we just
meandered.
We
were just coming into the driveway when Kyle pulled in. He said he came home
early to take the FIT to go to Park City and driving around looking for giant Margarita
glasses. The FIT is more reliable for
going up the canyons. Adrian went with him so I was home this evening reading
and watching a little bit of news.
The billion and
millionaires that went down to see the Titanic died in the submersible when it imploded.
Ironic that natured claimed some more who
relied on the superiority of technology. Titanic the unsinkable has more dead millionaires
in the deep.
I clearly Remember Judy
Garland having died on this day. It was
only 9 days after I graduated from high school
23 June 2023 Friday
I was waken at 1:30 by barking in the back yard
so I got up to make sure Coco wasn’t outside but it was Maxx and Lulubelle for some
reason. I went down into the dark to see if Coco was there but she wasn’t. I
thought it strange that only TJ went to bed with me. When I came back to the
room Coco was in the doggy bed in the closet asleep.
I
managed to fall back to sleep but had strangest dreams of being in a bookstore that
was giving away free books, then a romantic encounter with Adrian Villalobos
who really was Kimball Edwards, both are tall, young, and fair. I also dreamed
that Grandma and Grandpa Johnson showed up at my house unexpectedly as I was
trying to make it to work at school but I couldn’t get the car to work.
Finally, I dreamed I
was going to show my students a film on Hairspray to show them what the fifties
were like when the school superintendent came into the classroom to tell me my
kids were supposed to be at an assembly where all the teachers were expected to
perform to Classic Songs and I had to do Dancing in the Rain which I did with
gusto. My mind was an eclectic kaleidoscope
of dreams.
It was a beautiful
summer day although I didn’t do much. I did pull some of the large milkweeds
growing by the west fence patio and pulled out all the dead Arborvitae shrubs.
Only 4 actually survived of all the ones we bought last summer with such high
hopes. I got the yard waste bin to the
curb just in time for the trash truck to come by.
Adrian Villalobos fixed
his own breakfast as he doesn’t have school on Fridays but wanted me to go with
him to Trolley Square where he was getting a haircut at 10. I don’t think he
was sure how to get there so I drove and I was surprised that Kyle Foote showed
up as I suppose he had made the appointment for both of them. Kyle left South
Jordan to meet Adrian. I was amused that Kyle and Adrian were kissing each
other at the barbershop like any married couple would when meeting up. Anyway,
afterwards I took Adrian home and I went to the library to get some children
easy books for Adrian to practice reading his English.
He
borrowed the FIT to go to the gyn in Woods Cross and I made an English Pea
salad which sounded good. Bill Poore always loved the salad too. When Adrian
came home I was taking a nap and when I got up to greet him I saw that he had
fixed himself lunch of chicken, rice, and the pea salad. He said that in
Columbia that was one of his favorites only he eats his without lettuce.
He
went off again for another errand and I read some more from Santa’s Little
Yelpers. I really enjoy how David Rosenfelt writes and I love the short
chapters so you don’t get bored.
While
Adrian was out I made a pan of lasagna and when he came home around 4:30 we sat
down and I had him read from a book of Latino Children poems called Borderland.
Actually, it was a perfect book because the stanzas were short sentences and no
extreme metaphors as it was written for children. However, we only got into it for about a half
an hour when Kyle came home. I had Adrian stop so he could be with Kyle.
Kyle
asked me if I wanted to go with them to Home Depot because he had a truck with
which he had to get some supplies for work. I think I surprised him by
declining because I was happy to stay home and read and he had Adrian now to
help him as needed, so I don’t have to anymore. I asked if he needed me but he
didn’t so it was all good.
I
read for the rest of the evening into the night and finished the Andy Carpenter
book. Unlike the others I read this past week, Rosenfelt’s is always a page
turner. I finally went to bed after
10:30 and the boys were still out.
Perhaps I am just
callous in my old age but the death of a billionaire and others who paid
$250,000 to view the wreck of the Titanic doesn't move me. I just find it
eerily familiar to the fate of the First Class Millionaires of 1912 who
arrogantly trusted the superiority of technology over mother nature as they
sailed in luxury on the unsinkable
Titanic. I also find it sad that the
death of a billionaire seem to outweigh the drowning of 64 migrants off the
coast of Greece.
I don't know about you
but I find it sickening that a few who own most of the wealth in this old world can take joy rides into the
stratosphere and to the depth of the oceans. I do feel kind of sorry for the
poor little rich kid who only went to please his billionaire father.
I wonder if the 5 will
be added to the names of over 1500 people, mostly working class and 3rd Class,
who perished, claimed by the Titanic.
The submersible search
sure took the news off the fact that Trump was going to reduce military
equipment to Saudi Arabia if they didn't lower production to keep oil prices
high to protect the Oil Company's profits.
Oh well the Rich get
richer and now they have made sure the Poor have children.
There
are rumblings of a mutiny in Russia of the Russian mercenary Wagner Army against
Russian military over the war in the Ukraine.
Andy
Dalrymple has posted that he’s taking over the old Utah Queer Historical
Society that the Pride Center abandoned and wants to rebrand it as a
repository. I saw that Joni Weiss the Trans who gave me so much shit commented
on his post saying how the trans were not allowed to be part of the old
discussion. I messaged Andy and told him
to be careful around her because she is such a liar and I think unstable.
24 June 2023 Saturday
This morning I watered the front yard and
pulled some weeds before I decided to go to the NPS garden store down on 15th
South. I was looking for something to fill a large planter I have in the
parking strip in front of the house. I first thought about Russian Sage but as
the only ones they had were $12 and I didn’t want to spend that much I bought another
bunch of drought resistant perennials instead. Back at the house I planted what
I bought, pulled up some sunflowers that were blocking the sun from other
plants, and did some pruning.
Then Adrian Villalobos wanted
me to go to Ranchos Market on Ninth West and South Temple. There was a Western
Union there after all and all the tellers there speak Spanish. His sister and
her kids are in Costa Rica now or close to there and Adrian wanted to send them
$500 for their journey and asked if he could borrow $200 for $700 altogether. It
was around noon and the place was super busy with Latinos mostly Mexicans with
almost only Spanish being spoken. I kind of felt like Adrian must feel only in reverse.
We were there for quite
a while only because we had to wait for Adrian to get information where to send
the money. I told him to just let me pay with my debit card in one transaction
rather than using his and my cards. I actually sent them $800 for a little bit
more as Adrian said his sister and kids hadn’t eaten in two days.
Adrian
asked me not to tell Kyle that he sent money because he thinks Kyle would be
mad at him because their money situation is tight right now and who knows what
it will cost to fix the Terrain. Anyway,
Adrian is my family now so if I can help I will. Lord knows I have spent plenty
on Kyle’s cute butt over the years.
When
Adrian came home from the gym we sat down and read some more from the Latino children’s
poem book for him to practice his pronunciation of English sounds. He had a
hard time saying the S in a plural and ed in a past tense verb because Spanish
doesn’t have those. Also, the “th” sound at the end of a word is hard for him
like in with and truth but he will get better with practice.
Adrian is affectionate
with me and pats me, which in my old age is very sweet. Kyle will give me a hug
before he goes down stairs but I think he does it more for me than because it’s
something he naturally would do. Adrian
and I are much more “touchy-feely” which bonds us.
Kyle came home around 7
and said he was beat. He didn’t get home last night from work until after 1,
said he didn’t get to sleep until 3 and then had to be up at 7 this morning. He
said he had a quarrel with one of the contractors for the Lulu Pizzeria because
he was charging his client too much money.
I
made some banana bread out of an overripe banana. I still can’t just waste
food. I was even eating a left over slice of pizza Kyle brought home from
Paxton Pub the other day. The place is “gay friendly” and owned by a gay guy
and a Lesbian named “Mo” who used to own the Lesbian Bar called Modiggity back
in the 90’s.
I
started to read a new mystery by Alex Kava a new author but it was not my kind
of book as it was about a serial child killer as it turned out and I didn’t
want to go there. So, I will turn it back in and get something else. I like
light and breezy novels the kind David Rosenfelt and Janet Evanovich who write nothing
too dark and serious. Life is too short
Is it unreasonable to
ask the estates of the decease to reimburse Canadian and US Taxpayers the cost
of the search mission? In Utah people
have to pay expenses for their rescues for putting themselves in danger for
thrills. The Titanic is a graveyard,
not a playground for billionaires. Time
to let the Titanic RIP.
25 June 2023 Sunday
The last Sunday in June. It was supposed to
have gotten up to 90 degrees but of it did, I didn’t feel it walking the pups.
I tried to keep them quiet this morning to let the boys sleep in as much as
they could although I know Kyle Foote was up and out early.
I
wanted to make the avocado green sauce that Cielito Lindo from Alverez Street makes
or something close to it so I went to
Lucky’s to get some chicken for the pups and also some tomatillos,
yellow peppers, avocado, garlic, and cilantro which were the main ingredients.
I also bought some taquitos that I fried up which I had for lunch. My sauce
wasn’t exactly as I remembered but good none the less.
I
didn’t interact with the boys today nor expected to because Kyle was going to
work until the time of the Musical Le Miz at the Eccles theater.
Since
I didn’t have any books to read today I just watched some sit-coms on Hulu and
in the evening I went to mow the front lawn but I couldn’t get the lawn mower
to work. As I was in the yard, Kyle came home as well as Adrian Villalobos who
had been out with a girl who became his friend when he was at Horizontal
school. Kyle managed to get the lawn mower to work so I was able to mow what
little grass I have left in the front yard.
Before
calling it a day I called my sister Donna Jones as it was her 74th
birthday. We visited for a bit. I guess her granddaughter Dee is going to
attend Long Beach in the fall. She said
everyone one else was doing fine and it’s been in the 100s at Bullfrog which
she said wasn’t all that bad for down there.
26 June 2023 Monday
I had to take Adrian Villalobos to school this
morning as that Kyle Foote had to leave really early. So, after fixing his breakfast off we went. It
was a bright sun shiney morning and after coming back to the house I walked the
pups and mowed the weeds down in the back yard before it got too hot.
Then I decided to go to
Deseret Industries. The pups had broken two of their food bowls recently so I
wanted to see what DI had since I hadn’t been there in a while. I found a cool
shirt and a beautiful crazy quilt red lap blanket besides the bowls. So that
was fun. While I was there around noon Adrian called and said he got out of
class early and needed me to come get him, which I did. On the way back he
asked to go to Rancho Market again because he needed to send money again to
help his sister who is in Honduras now.
I didn’t get involved this time but just stood around. It seems like Adrian
always picks around noon to deal with this when there’s such a long line of
people waiting at the check cashing window. But what can you do but just wait
and be grateful? It’s not me having to deal with all of this. Lots of working Latino
men getting cash probably on their noon lunch breaks. Anyway, that was my
adventure for the day.
When
Kyle came home for a short while he said that Loddars called and said the
Terrain was ready and it wasn’t the gas pump but something much less expensive so he also decided to have them due his brakes
while the vehicle was in the shop.
I
had called Ken Garff earlier in the day to make an appointment to have my oil
change in the FIT but they didn’t get back to me until later. When I saw their
message they had already closed.
Ross
Poore texted and asked if I was coming to Bill’s funeral service and I lied
saying I would be out of town. I didn’t want to be around Bill’s family who
didn’t care that much about his life and from years of hearing Bill’s scrabbles
with his siblings. They were not a part of Bill’s Gay world nor mine. Ross
informed me he was giving all of Bill’s money to his sister who had a
millionaire son. She is in poor health so I heard but still I am glad that Bill
gave me some money before he died. I did more for that man than anyone one in
that family except for his brother in law. But the Bill was my friend before
dementia took him away before he died.
27 June 2023 Tuesday
I had to pick Adrian up at 12:30 from the
college and he took the FIT for much of the afternoon so I was home for much of
the day. Kyle came home around 4:30 and
need me to go with him to get his Terrain that was ready at Loddars since
Adrian wasn’t home. It wasn’t quite down with invoicing so we had to wait a
while and Kyle didn’t make it to Glen’s Keys, which he wanted to have Adrian’s
dock lock repaired.
We
were home about 5:45 so I rushed to feed the pups because I wanted to go to the
Gay Men’s Support Group that starts at 6:30 at the Pride Center. I made it in
plenty of time and the usual bunch attended tonight and the discussion centered
around on whether there was such a thing as “Gaydar”. It was a good meeting with plenty of
interaction. Maybe I am being just conceited but I think the group is more
lively with me there prodding on Gay positivity and discussions. Toshi, this
Japanese man was more open tonight as well as two Latinos Jesus and Danny who
said he went to a straight man’s Toxic masculinity group and hated it as they
wouldn’t let anyone speak who hadn’t attended for 3 months and he said the men
mostly blamed women who their issues. He said he wouldn’t go back and said it
made him really appreciate this Gay Men’s support group.
28 June 2023 Wednesday
I posted a lot about the Stonewall Riots on the
Gay Men’s group hoping to dispel the myth of Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera
having started the rebellion. I also worked
a lot of the Greek Nathan Stathakos who was so prominent in the early
days of Second South.
It
was a really pleasant day out for last days of June only in the high 70’s where
back east and in the South they are under a “heat dome” of over 100 degrees.
Its suppose to warm up into the 90’s this weekend and even 100 by July 3rd.
I
fixed Adrian his breakfast and snack pack this morning but didn’t see him nor
Kyle Foote for the rest of the day or evening. I did finally go to my
Vietnamese barber to get a beard trim and a haircut. I haven’t heard from Mike
Romero either but Coco seems to have adjusted to being here just fine, loving
her two daily walks and has a good appetite. This has been a vacation for her
too I suppose.
29 June 2023 Thursday
I fixed Adrian Villalobos his breakfast and
finished up my writing on Nicholas Stathakos so I could post on my West Second
South Site and also to the People of Utah. I don’t know how many people will ever
read them or benefit from the research but it’s out there.
I went shopping at
Lucky’s this morning for groceries, especially for the pups. I didn’t buy
anything for Adrian as I think he and Kyle may be gone this weekend because
Kyle said he’d like to get away. Later
in the afternoon I went to the Rose Park Smith’s and bought a bunch of snacks
and pop for the weekend if I am going to be alone.
I
am reading the Alex Kava’s novel Silent Creed, about a dog handler whose
trained dogs are used to solve crimes. It’s okay so far and while not real
compelling to me it’s interesting enough for me to read the short chapters. I
did go to the library and picked up another David Rosenfelt’s book, “Holy Chow”
so I would have something to read over the weekend.
I
fell asleep in the afternoon only to be awaken to hear the lawn next door at
Victor’s place being mowed. Some kid must have been hired to cut down the weeds
again as the yard was nearly a foot overgrown. Weeds have grown up all in his
driveway and the place looks abandoned so not sure what is going on over there.
His backyard has not been touched and has about 2 feet of weeds, especially
milkweed and super tall Scottish Thistle.
It
made me want to work some in my own front yard and I did some pruning of the
squash plants so the blossoms would get more pollinators and did some watering.
It was not very hot today but is expected to be in the 90’s next week.
Mike
Romero called around 7:30 at night and said he was on the way home and would be
by to pick up Coco around 9:30, which he did. I had him come in but did not
keep him long as he was super tired from the long drive back. So, I told him
that Coco had a very nice holiday and was active and feisty. I know she was
ready to go home but I know also she had a good time here with the rest of the
gang.
In
the news the Fascists on the Supreme Court overturned Affirmative Action for
Universities after 50 years.
Another June has passed by and it was much
warmer today but pleasant enough. I took the pups for a morning walk and then
went to Deseret Industries to browse and found some shirts a couple of quilts
and sheets. Other than that, I was home most of the day and then I got a phone
call from Roy Zang who asked if he could come over to talk.
I guess he’s had a few rough days at his new job
as apartment manager as that some guy called him and Tony “fucking fags” and
when he reported it to his management they only suggested that he and Tony move.
He was so discouraged that he said he is thinking about moving to Southern California
where he may have new job opportunities. He’s in his mid-40’s now and said he’s
tired of Utah’s bull shit and needs a new adventure.
After
sharing his job woes, we visited about life in generation, how the we don’t fit
into the “queer” paradigm and we feel like relics of a past time. We visited
for a long time, nearly until 5:30 so I never was able to take the pups for a
second walk but just had to talk cooking their supper.
Around
7, Kyle Foote came home from Mi Ranchito and asked me to help him paint a wall
down there tomorrow saying how much I like to be with him and I said it seems
most of the time he asks me to be with him it involves a paint brush. He
grinned because he knew that was true after all the painting I did at Club
Verse last year. But I said I would.
I
was happy to hear that he managed to pay his $1,800 restitution on time
although he said until he gets paid again he only has $300 in his account so he
and Adrian Villalobos won’t be getting away for the weekend. He said that Mi
Ranchito adopted his slushy Margarita drink idea and have already sold a few so
he was happy about that.
He
had to leave to do some wiring at Loco Burger so I was alone for the rest of
the evening and finished reading “Breaking Creed” before it was time for bed.
In
the news the Fascists on the Supreme Court ruled that businesses could
discriminate against Gay people if it was their religious belief due to Free
Speech trumping anti-discrimination laws.
They had already over turned affirmative action and also they overturned
President Biden’s Student Debt forgiveness program. It’s always 6 to 3 , Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, and the
drunk Kavanaugh and bitch Barrett against the three women Sotomayor, Kagan, and
Jackson.
Well
June had been a delightful month with no extreme weather and everyone I know in
fairly good health.
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