JOURNAL 2018
After a restless night full of frightened pups
and explosions finally was able to go back to sleep after 1:30 a.m. and slept
in until 7:30. So begins a new year. Wow. I am still around. So let’s do the
basics. I am a 66-year-old man and will turn 67 this year. I live at 1633
Fernleaf Street in the Westpointe area of Salt Lake City in the northwest
quadrant. I have since October 1996. I have no other person living with me at
the start of the year but I do have six hound dogs that I share my space with.
Crazy right? Five of them are rescue dogs that I fostered and then couldn’t
give up and then old Buddy who I have had since 2006 when I got him as a 8-week-old
puppy. In order of when they came in to my life, there is Buddy a black
schnauzer about 13 years old, Harleigh a gray schnauzer about 11 years old,
Maxx a Chihuahua mix about 5 years old, TJ a pure Chihuahua about 3 years old,
Lulu Belle a white terrier mix about 6 years old, and Buster, a black and tan
Chihuahua mix about 12 years old. I am still babysitting Coco a chocolate
schnauzer who is Mike Romero’s 8-year-old dog. So they all entertain me and
keep me engaged with taking care of them and I am never lonely with all of them
on my lap at various times of the day. I had bariatric surgery last spring and
have lost 50 pounds at least and weigh about 195 pounds which is a weight I
haven’t been at since 1990. My diabetes is in remission because of the surgery
but my life style which had been centered round food had been radically
altered. I eat so little now and take little joy and pleasure in food. I am a
retired elementary school teacher but still am active in research and writing
up the history of Utah’s Gay history. I write a monthly history column for the
Q Salt Lake and have since 2004. I also do a monthly history lecture on Gay
history which is about the only real involvement I have in the Gay community
anymore of which I was once a mover and shaker. Times change. It’s a pleasant
sunny New Year’s Day with most of the Christmas snow melted. I had my morning
coffee with dark chocolate and had two frozen waffles for breakfast. That’s
more than enough. I am making split pea soup for supper. Michael came over to
retrieve Coco who spent the night since Mike went to a New Year’s Eve party and
I just stayed home. I gave him cans of Star-Kist tuna and chicken that I know I will never eat. I went down to
the Utah State Prison to see Kyle Foote in the afternoon. It was a good visit
and not nearly as many people as it was on Christmas Eve. He looked good and
seemed to be in good spirits. Our time was from 1 to 3 and after our visit I
went to Lucky Market and bought a few things for the pups and me.
2 January 2018 Tuesday
I took Coco and Buddy down to the groomers at
the Dog Park instead of taking them to Stephen Bolinder’s after all these
years. It’s not that I had anything against Stephen’s grooming but it was such
a pain going across town to 15th and 15th where The Dog Park is just down off of
Redwood Road and North Temple. They did a nice job although quite a bit more
expensive than what Stephen charged. Together Coco and Buddy were about $110
where with Stephen it would have been just $80. Oh well I guess I am paying for
convenience. Spent the rest of the entire day working on my report for my
Lecture Series tomorrow on the years 1979 and 1980. Orrin G. Hatch, the
longest-serving Senate Republican, said he will retire at the end of the year,
paving the way for Mitt Romney to be sustained.
3 January 2018 Wednesday
I woke to the news that Thomas S Monson,
president of the Mormon Church died last night. I wonder if Hatch's
announcement did Monson in... Both thinking it’s time to check out... Be
prepared for wailing and gnashing of teeth in SLC ...While some of my friends
are lauding the late Thomas Monson as a good man let’s not forget he led the
church's opposition to marriage equality with Proposition 8 and was a high
church official for over 45 years who never condemned sexism and homophobia
within the Mormon Church but kept the status quo of right wing bigotry
disguised in crocodile tears and benign platitudes...Both presumptive prophet Russell Nelson and
next in line after him Dallin Oaks are polygamists having a second wife sealed
to them for all eternity... So their first wives will be sharing their husbands’
everlasting penises with another woman for all time and eternity... What a
marvelous work and a wonder... Russell
Nelson the next president of the Mormon Church said that excommunicating same
sex married Mormons was the mind and will of God... He also said that
Millennials are the last generation before the apocalypse..." In the end,
the apostle reminded the young people that they were born for this time — with
an important assignment: to usher in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ."
Oh papa Tooney we got a looney... It was Harleigh and Lulu Belle’s turn to go to
the groomer today while I finished up my report. That was another $100 but
that’s what one does if you love Schnauzers. I finished getting 30 pages of
notes on 1979 and 1980 down to 10 pages for my history lecture series for
tonight... It only took two days and 12 hours to glean and rewrite... Then I baked cookies ... After all what is a meeting
without cookies? We only had a small group of about 12 people at the lecture
series tonight although we are now schedules for the big room at the Marmalade.
I had anticipated a larger turn out and made extra cookies but oh well. The ones
who were there enjoyed it for sure. Our Topic was
the events of 1979 and 1980 including the dissolution of the old Imperial Court
of Utah and the entrapment of David Chipman by BYU security officers.
·
Richard
Harmston Ben, thanks for educating your community. We need this perspective to
move forward.
4 January 2018 Thursday
It took several tries but the talk given last
night on the years 1979 and 1980 is posted as a document on USHS Lecture Series
site for those interested. I spent about two hours formatting it and then the
computer froze and I had to do it all over again. Ugh. Frustrating. I made a
crockpot of corn chowder this January day and ate several bowls of it for my
supper. Soup is about the only way I can eat vegetables. The insurance guy for
Wiscombe Memorial called this evening and I have an appointment for next
Tuesday at 11 a.m. to pay for my arrangements. Trump is threatening to sue
everyone involved in the book that was written about his first year. You know I
don't recall President Obama suing any of his defamers during his eight
years... Just saying. In the Trump-Bannon divorce I wonder who will get custody
of the Nazis?
5 January 2018 Friday
The dogs were so anxious last night. I wonder
what got into their bonnets...about 3:30 a.m. TJ, Harleigh, Buddy, and Lulu
Belle were so anxious they woke me up...Couldn't get back to sleep until 4 a.m.
then Coco comes barging in at 7 saying howdy to everyone. So I wrote my article
for the Q that isn't due until the 12th.. That should make Michael Aaron
ecstatic ... Shared a breakfast of a sausage patty and two frozen waffles with
the hounds who said they were hungrier than me. Even my mega cup of coffee isn't
doing the trick this morning. The pair of new jeans I bought last week at 38-inch
waist is dropping off of me... damn serves me right for buying new clothes...
In the afternoon went and had a haircut but not a beard trim this time. I like
to keep the sides short to avoid hat hair. From there went to Deseret
Industries and bought a pair of pants that are 36-inch waist to see if that is
what I am wearing now. Then went to Smith’s to get the dogs a treat and I
bought a frozen cheese pizza. I haven’t had a pizza since before my surgery. I
figured if I am not able to eat it at least I am not out much. I have a pot of
pinto beans and chili meat cooking… Should be ready by tomorrow, I still have
split pea soup and corn chowder to finish up also. Back East I guess they are
getting clobbered by the “bomb cyclone” and it’s snowing in Tallahassee but its
dry as a bone here unlike last year at this time when I had a half a foot of
snow to deal with.
6 January 2018 Saturday
It’s 38 degrees this morning in SLC...and
expecting rain today... wow. Is it January? I just worked on cleaning up the
report I did on Britton Williams one of my great grand daddies who died at the
young age of 35 in the Revolutionary War. I know I should clean house but the
most I got done was some laundry and picked up some of the dog dishes. I did
make a crockpot of chili and some pinto beans. Made some corn bread with it but
that little I can eat makes it a lot of effort for such little return. I will
give Mike Romero most of it on Monday. The book Fire and Fury is out and is on
all the news outlets. Roasted chicken for supper tonight... Buddy was hungry
... In the evening watched a bit more of Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries.
7 January 2018 Sunday
Today is the 41st anniversary of
when Fran and I got married. I wonder if she gives this date any thought. She
will be 73 years old this February. I got a letter dated the 4th
from Kyle Foote. It must have come yesterday when I didn’t check the mail. He
said that he’s being transferred to another section of the Utah State Prison
for those who work off site like he does now. They are closing Charlie Block of
the Wasatch and opening another site called Lone Peak. He said I won’t have to
use the main waiting area any more as that Lone Peak has its own entrance. I
guess sometime after the 15th they will be moved. Lulubelle is just
nuts over split pea soup...I had a bit left over from earlier this week and
after eating about 1/2 of it she wanted the rest which was a good size
bowl...she licked it clean. About 3 pm I was surprised with company. I know so
many good people...I feel so blest...Richard Harmston and Charles Bigo dropped
by to have a short visit and drop off some lovely yellow flowers... I asked
what the occasion and they was said it’s because it's January... It's getting
foggy over here by the river although much of the day was warm and nice...must
be the moisture in the air from the snow melting...there's a cool sink right by
the Jordan River where the air is cooler than all around it. Company coming
over this afternoon made me realize I need to keep up with the house
cleaning...that or leave a bunch of Get-Well cards lying around so people think
I've been too sick to keep it up... The pups and I are having cooked oatmeal
for supper today...I am having mine with butter, milk, and sweetener...the pups’
wanted gizzards and chicken breasts... No accounting for tastes... But Buster
must have liked it because his bowl is clean as a whistle...Lulubelle isn't
eating...she's probably full of pea soup... When I was sitting in the lazy boy TJ
wanted up in my lap and then proceeded to hack up some un digested bits of food
he probably scarfed down to keep others from having it... Yuck!
8 January 2018 Monday
Home from Voices Heard, where Chad Anderson,
Mike McClane and Meg Bee Green read from their works. SLC has some amazing
talented people and Chad seems to be connected to them all... I usually don’t
go out at night but wanted to support Chad. Dillon Harker and Mark Angus were
the only ones I knew there at Mestizo Café but I am glad I went because Mike McClane wanted some information I had on
the Warm Springs area that I had.
·
Chad
Anderson I am so richly blessed to have supportive and incredible friends in my
life. I retire this evening full of joy and love.
9 January 2018 Tuesday
It's 45 degrees this morning in SLC ... What
are we now? In the tropical belt? The high was 48...not that I am complaining
as long as we get our moisture... I had an appointment at 11 pm to meet at
Wiscombe Memorial to pay for my cremation funeral. It cost $1001 so I guess
even my funeral will be on the cheap. LOL But it’s a relief and a peace of mind
to know that my mortal remains will be disposed of in a proper manner and my
relatives won’t have to be put out dealing with it. It was not lost on me that
today is what would have been John Cunningham’s 67th birthday. When
Richard Harmston came over on Sunday he was concerned I wasn't getting enough
leafy greens in my diet...he suggested Kale!!! Can you believe it? But since
he's such a good person and don't want to worry him I made cream of spinach
soup with smoked sausage for supper tonight... Next he will tell me my candy
orange jelly slices aren't as good as real oranges...When I took Coco home I
told Mike that it was taken care of. He wants to do the same but I bet he will
procrastinate. He said that his brother John manage to see Bill Romero’s shop
in Rawlings for $65,000. They were afraid they would just lose it. This evening
It's actually balmy out ... Feels like mid-March ... Strange but I like it...
As true today or
truer than when President Truman said it 70 years ago... This is Why I am a lifelong
Democrat... Because I have empathy...
·
Today
the forces of liberalism face a crisis. The people of the United States must
make a choice between two ways of living — a decision which will affect us the
rest of our lives and our children and our grandchildren after us. On the other
side, there is the Wall Street way of life and politics. Trust the leader! Let
big business take care of prices and profits! Measure all things by money! That
is the philosophy of the masters of the Republican Party. Well, I have been
studying the Republican Party for over 12 years at close hand in the Capital of
the United States. And by this time, I have discovered where the Republicans
stand on most of the major issues. Since they won’t tell you themselves, I am
going to tell you. They approve of the American farmer — but they are willing
to help him go broke. They stand four-square for the American home — but not
for housing. They are strong for labor — but they are stronger for restricting
labor’s rights. They favor a minimum wage — the smaller the minimum the better.
They indorse educational opportunity for all — but they won’t spend money for
teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine
— for people who can afford them. They approve of Social Security benefits — so
much so that they took them away from almost a million people. They believe in
international trade — so much so that they crippled our reciprocal trade program
and killed our International Wheat Agreement. They favor the admission of
displaced persons — but only within shameful racial and religious limitations.
They consider electric power a great blessing — but only when the private power
companies get their rake-off. They say TVA is wonderful — but we ought never to
try it again. They condemn “cruelly high prices” — but fight to the death every
effort to bring them down. They think the American standard of living is a fine
thing — so long as it doesn’t spread to all the people. And they admire the
Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it. Now, my
friends, which is the Wall Street Republican way of life. But there is another
way — there is another way — the Democratic way, the way of the Democratic
Party.
10 January 2018 Wednesday
It's 43 degrees and misting rain in SLC and the
high is going to be 45 degrees...for well into next week it's going to be in
the mid-forties... Very unusual for SLC's Januarys ... Which are generally in
twenties and low thirties... I hope things don't begin to bud out...
I was so bored this morning that I thawed out
some Rhodes Bread dough and made some walnut cinnamon rolls. They turned out
really tasty but I will give most of them to Michael Romero as I won’t be able
to eat them all for sure. It was sweet seeing old Buddy and Buster butt to butt
sharing their doggy bed as I was getting ready for bed myself... I think Buster
feels he has a home now... I watched Dead Men Tell No Tells in the Pirates of
The Caribbean series. I think that franchise is done and it’s all special
effects these days. I
wondered why Taco Bell doesn't taste the same any more...According to a former
Team Trainer at Taco Bell, "Refried Beans and Red Sauce are made on a prep
table from mixing special dry storage ingredients and boiling water. Refried
Beans need to settle in a heating cabinet for 45 minutes before being put on
line, Red Sauce is ready to go immediately." When I worked at Taco Bell in
1970-1972 we made fresh beans in pressure cookers every day... The sauces came
in cans already made... We shredded blocks of cheeses, cooked our own meat,
chopped our own onions, and fried our own taco and tostado shells... No wonder
I can't eat there any more...only thing they have from the past is the name...
I miss Bell Burgers and frijoles cups...
·
Aaron
Fagan They use to boil in a bag meat . The beans are freeze dried and just add
hot water. It is disgusting to eat. I worked at Taco Bell as a kid and it was
all fresh but those days are gone. If you are constipated just eat the meat at
Taco Bell and boom constipation gone
·
Benedgar
Williams I worked with your daddy, Aaron at Taco Bell... That's where I met
your mom.
·
Aaron Fagan Wow I didn’t know that. Now I have
to ask her lol
·
Benedgar
Williams She might not remember me...your uncle was Larry's friend at the time
and use to come up for free food lol
·
Aaron
Fagan Benedgar Williams, yeah, my uncle Steve Bullington. He and my dad were
best friends if I’m not mistaken
·
Benedgar
Williams As I recall... Fun times
11 January 2018 Thursday
I must be bored because I deep cleaned my
kitchen emptying everything into the sink and cleaned all the grime that
drawers can accumulate. There was some mouse droppings I had to vacuum out of
the bottom drawers and I sprayed everything with disinfectant and rewashed
everything that was in the drawers. I don’t think I have any more mice but
keeping my eye open for any fresh droppings. Scrubbed all my small appliances
and used disinfectant... Rewashed all my kitchen utensils and it took me about
3 hours...In the evening I turned on my “self-cleaning oven” for about 3 hours.
It still worked although my oven is 20 years old... I use my kitchen a lot so
it does accumulate some grime over time. Since it feels like spring I guess I
am doing spring cleaning... There was an article in the Tribune about the state
supreme Court hearing the competency of Michael Archuleta. Nowhere in this
article does it mention why Gordon Church was murdered. That in of itself is a
cover up just like in 1988 when a gag order was put in place... Gordon Church
was a Gay man and murdered by men conditioned by society to despise Gay men...
His death was One of exceptional cruelty... Few people outside of the Gay
community and Church's own circle of family and friends know how this young man
died at the hands of these vicious men in a lonely stretch of country in
Central Utah....1988 saw the murder of two other Gay men and the attempted
murder of several others...in 1989 my friend Darrell Webber was murdered and
his killer walked... Am I still bitter... Yes I am...
12 January 2018 Friday
Spent most of the day deep cleaning the kitchen
of a layer of grime that accumulates from cooking. Finished scrubbing the oven
and the top burners. I got most of it done, cleaned inside the cupboards, straightened
the spice cabinet, washed curtains, cleaned the microwave, took down all the
decorative chili peppers and washed them in the dishwasher. I also cleaned the
kitchen window door that leads to the deck and got down on my knees to scrub
the dining room floor and then waxed it. I need to make a DI run to drop off
some kitchenware and some clothes...actually it feels good …like spring
cleaning... and it was such a spring like day for sure. Alan Anderson asked me to go with him to Jim
Dabakis one man show at SLAC this Sunday. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go
because Charles Frost was directing it. Trump should not be invited in by
decent folk... If you are still a trump fan ... Then calling the homes of black
people shitholes, grabbing women by the pussy, and calling Mexican’s rapists
must not upset you...
13 January 2018 Saturday
I left the house at 9:15 this morning to head
down to the State Pen this morning for Kyle’s visiting schedule from 10 to noon
but when I got there I found that the place was on lock down...I guess I should
have checked first. On Thursday there was a gang fight and six people were
injured, and although in a separate facility at the Prison they shut down both
Draper and Gunnison. I am so glad I didn't drive all the way to Gunnison...
Kyle wrote me that they are moving him again from Wasatch Charlie Block to Lone
Peak...which is still in Draper but I will have to figure out again how to
access that facility to see Kyle... It's a separate building from where I had
been going which is the main prison... So I guess I won’t have to go through
the cattle call anymore to get into the main prison during visiting hours. I
was kind of disappointed but also kind of relieved that I didn’t have to go
through the hassle they put visitors through. On the way home my empty gas
light came on so I stopped at Costco and filled my tank up. IT was $2.27 and I
put $30 in the cruiser. I guess because my plans fell through I didn’t do as
much today as I did yesterday. I went to the grocery store at Smith’s and
bought food and treats for the dogs and me. I made a kettle of cheesy potato
and ham soup and had a small bowl ha! A lot of work for a cup of soup. Mr.
Hall, my Mormon neighbor came by in the afternoon with an armful of IAM canned
dog food... He said his dog Katie won't eat it...lol. Well mine will especially
when mixed with gizzards... Lol ... I wonder what is up with the Halls... They
have lived behind me for 20 years and now they want me to go to their church
... I took the dog food but am not stepping foot back into a ward house. It was
a spring like day nearly 50 degrees and clear blue skies in SLC. Alan Anderson
said he bought me a ticket for a Women's Democratic Club play put on by
Pygmalion on February 1st. Chuck Whyte wants to go " Private Heroes "
but said both he and Becky Moss keep getting message that it’s sold out. I
hadn't planned on going but told him there's supposed to be some free tickets
for the Tower showing but you have to get them I think through the Utah AIDS
Foundation. The pride center is making people raise money on their FB page for them
and then they will choose 7 pairs of tickets out of them which is no guarantee
you’d get a ticket. Chuck said he was able to get into the Sundance Film
Festival site but all he could find is groups to join for 250.00 up to 3,000.00
plus I know he wants to go because the film is about Dr. Kristen Ries ad Maggie
Snyder. Chad Anderson invited me to a gathering of a group of people this
coming Thursday night, at the home of Tim Houpt, to discuss the Gordon Church documentary
project he’s spear-heading about Gordon Church. He said, “There will be wine
and food, and a group of brilliant people to discuss ideas about the format of
the documentary, what has been done so far, and how to make it happen.” I don’t think I have other commitments that
night so I will probably go.
14 January 2018 Sunday
Still deep cleaning but moved to the front
room...cob webs, dirt, dust, floor scrubbed by hand... I guess I could have a
cleaner house without six dogs but then it would just be a house and not a
home... These two plants, my fig tree, and my corn plant sometimes I take for
granted but I have had them since 1989 when I moved from the Juel Apt. The
Buckingham on A Street...they have been my companions through my moves to
Delmar Court, to the Riviera to finally Fernleaf Street... They have been with
me longer than any other living thing... I also baked a loaf of Banana Nut
Bread for Alan Anderson for buying me a ticket to go see Jim Dabakis: Stories
From My Soul at the Salt Lake Acting Company... It started at 1 and we sat near
Dan Fahndrich too...Jim is such a great story teller... I never get tired of
hearing of his adventures... It was sold out this weekend but two more shows were
added for February. Charles Frost was the director and spoke to Alan, Dan, and
I. Tension was still strained between him and I but I was pleasant enough. I
signed four petitions while there, for medical marijuana, for expansion of
Medicaid, for redistricting fairly, and something about teachers and
students... Michael dropped Coco off for a few hours while he went out to
dinner with some of his friends. He came and picked her up at 8:30 and I gave some
potato and ham cheddar soup to take home. I finished the evening by watching a
program on Armistead Maupin the author of Tales of the City. It was really good
but made me nostalgic
·
Alan
Anderson Benedgar, thanks for going with me and thanks for the wonderful banana
bread, and thanks so much for sharing your story, James Dabakis. No thanks for
making me and Dan cry. Shame on you.
15 January 2018 Monday Martin Luther King Jr Holiday
Wanted to get out of the house so went to the
movies at the Megaplex at the Gateway...I don't think I've been to a movie since
last summer... I went to see Star Wars, the Last Jedi... I heard so many mixed
reviews but I wanted to see what was unfolding. I first saw Star Wars over 40
years ago in June 1977 at the old Centre Theater with Fran. Amazing that the
series has continued this long...I am glad I went... I liked it but can see
where some might have been disappointed...I saw it as the end of a franchise
with the old characters, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Hans Solo, and the
beginning of a new one with new characters. It was almost a tribute to those
former characters I think... It was fun to see Carrie Fisher’s daughter have a
role in the Rebel Army and kind of sad to see Carrie Fisher’s last performance.
I made a crock pot of beef and cabbage vegetable soup today. It was mighty
tasty. In the evening I watched The Day After last night... I hadn't seen it
since I first watched in November 1983 along with 100 million other
Americans...it was an ABC made for TV movie about nuclear missile strikes in
Kansas City... It was horrifying then and just as horrifying now especially
with mad men having access to a nuclear arsenal... After the false alarm in Hawaii
... I think Americans need to watch this movie again...
16 January 2018 Tuesday
I spent the afternoon with Bill Poore...he
wanted to put some flowers on his dad’s grave since it was his birthday and I
offered to drive him because we haven't visited in a while. I brought him some
beef and cabbage soup, some cheesy potato and ham soup, and a loaf of banana
nut bread that I made this morning. After visiting the graves he took me to
Charlie Chows for lunch...he and I had, what else? More soup...lol his dad was
born just 3 days before mine was. In the evening I went to the Tuesday Movie
Night that Mark Angus organizes for Men Who Move... I wanted to see what all
the fuss was about Call Me by Your Name... Pretty good crowd in the theater and
if there was anyone there but Gay men I didn't see them...I sat with Cole
Gilmore who's had surgery and isn’t supposed to talk and Mark... Did see Jon
Bennett and Stan Rovig there, people I've known for 30 years here in SLC and
have a history with... Glad to be home now with the pups... Lulu Belle and I
are sharing a bowl of split pea soup for our supper. Call Me by Your Name
was great film
making but poor story telling... It took 2 hours and 15 minutes to tell a story
that could have been done in 90 minutes...lots of scenes that did nothing to
move the plot along... Acting was first rate and if the intent was to show a
moody teenager coming to terms with his awakening sexuality ... That was
achieved... There were some magnificent dialog but over shadowed by the directors’
love of showing off northern Italy... As for a love story Brokeback Mountain
did it better...and for a coming to age movie Edge of Seventeen was better I
thought... Much of the criticism I have read even in the Gay men's community
was the relationship between a 17-year-old and a 20 something year old... Sign
of the times I suppose... But the movie is clear the 17-year-old is the
seducer...I know when I was 17 I would have loved to have seduced an older
someone in their 20s lol... Those who are having a conniption fit over the age
better never watch the Dutch movie, For A Lost Soldier, a nostalgic look back
during WWII when an adolescent boy falls in love with a young Canadian soldier
who liberated his village... But yes I enjoyed the film...is it a Gay
masterpiece? Not in my opinion.
·
Roland
Ron Holmgren The age of consent in Italy is 14. This is not Timothee Chalamet's
first film, he has made several other films. He is an outstanding young actor.
One of the things that you did not like about the film, is what has made some
film critics rave about the film. While it might not be the best gay film made,
it and "Moonlight" have given gay films much needed exposure.
·
Benedgar
Williams Among film critics and indie festivals... Doubt if a general audience
will find the appeal... I wonder what kind of film it would have been if James
Ivory would have directed it...
·
Roland
Ron Holmgren More nudity.
·
Benedgar
Williams Maurice was a better film
·
Brandon Burt Hey, Ben!
Eric Peterson, the cute, furry, and hopelessly straight reporter, is doing a
story about some murders that happened in the 70s? I think I've forgotten all
about that. Anyway, He asked me if I could get contact info for Joe Redburn and
Nikki Boyer. I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble, could you put me in
touch with them?
·
Benedgar I met Eric at Mestizo for coffee last
year... He was interested the Tony Adams murder from 1978... Both Nikki and Joe
are on FB but to be honest I doubt whether they know or remember much... Tony
was a black Gay socialist and since his murder is still an open case no one but
family can access his case... Most of what know is from conversations with Bob
Waldrop who was a close friend and who discovered the body... I don't know how
to contact either one of them now...I am FB friends with Joe but Nikki and I
aren't on best terms over the Larabee affair.. I've tried to contact Ron Hunt
through his partner Todd Bennett but have never heard back...Ron Hunt was a mover
and shaker in the 1970s and knew Tony Adams lover so he must have known Tony
·
Brandon Oh, OK, thank
you very much Ben. How are you doing these days? I disappeared because a tow
truck driver was here to take my poor old Rav4 away
·
Benedgar Car shopping
is the worse... I had good luck at Enterprise Rental and used cars in Murray...
I am well as can be expected for an old dude
·
Brandon Yes, our
rental is Enterprise. They like me there; they bumped me up to a very large and
butch pickup truck. LOL Well, it's amazing how quickly the kids just sort of takeover,
right?
·
Benedgar Circle of
life...
·
Brandon So, Murray,
huh. Are there any in particular, or do you just go down the row? I've been
having a helluva time getting Dave moving on this; all he wants to do is sit
and make jewelry. I think I broke him. So I might have to take the bull by the
horns, be a real Aries, and just go out and do it.
·
Benedgar You can go on
line and see what they have... I bought my cruiser through them about 10 years
ago... Because they were rentals all their warranties are kept up and they have
been well maintained... Check it out and see if anything strikes your fancy...
Of course most of their vehicles will be sedans or that type..
·
Brandon I'm hoping to
get one like the Rav4, or just to stay in the Toyota family, they always seem
to be reliable when they're not trying to kill the driver by accelerating
unexpectedly. But I think that's just on newer models. I wish I had listened to
you, Ben Maybe if I had capitalized "Gay" the kids wouldn't all be
out fucking and drugging themselves to death. I can't help but feel somewhat
responsible. How do we teach the children?
·
Benedgar The whole
concept of capitalizing Gay was to teach that we are a people a folk with a
history and culture which had little to do with just sex... The whole idea of
trying to build community was based on that premise but the assimilationist won
with all this watered-down LGBTQ + crap ... Young people are going to have to
find their own way ...
·
Brandon You predicted
it but I didn't believe it for some reason, Now the country is about to fall
into fascism. I feel so duped. Professionalization, my ass.
·
Benedgar This is how I
feel about assimilation “Tetris taught me that when you try to fit in you’ll
disappear.”
·
Brandon My God, just
now the mail carrier came and she had a letter from my grandfather. The one who
hasn't written me a letter since I was 15 and he told me he didn't want a
cocksucker for a grandson. He's very old now and in a nursing home. He appears to
have had a change of heart, it's a heartfelt apology! This is something I did
not foresee.
·
Benedgar Wow ... Good
for him trying to get right with you and God
·
Brandon Yeah, I think
that's it. But I am all about forgiveness these days. This is a big one. I
think once I can wrap my heart around it, it's going to be a huge weight off my
chest.
·
Benedgar Forgive him
and allow him to change
·
Brandon It's
wonderful. Just a few minutes ago I was all doom and gloom about the young
generation, and suddenly the old generation showed me what was what! LOL
17 January 2018 Wednesday
Chuck Whyte wanted me this morning to haul him around
so he could run some errands this morning. Since I had nothing else planned I
said sure. I took the truck because something plastic beneath the cruiser’s
under carriage has broken off and is dragging... I have to look at it and see
what it might be... The car drives well but don't want something dropping
off... Chuck wanted to go to Winco, then Home Depot, and Dollar Tree and I was
back home by noon. I gave Chuck the $50 gift card that Bill Poore gave me. I
figured he needs it more than I do. Chuck said he may have bariatric surgery
himself this coming year. Well I guess hauling Chuck wore me out because I took
a nap and fell asleep for almost 2 hours before getting up to take Coco home. I
had Mike look under the car and he said it's a plastic air flow shield that is
broken and I can just break it off lol I missed a call from Kyle because of my phone
and for some reason didn’t ring when he called. I didn't write this but I agree
100 percent..."Just to illustrate how we've lowered the decency bar for
this POTUS, the fact that he's been potentially blackmailed by a porn star is a
non-story, not even covered in most media. This is where we are now."
Mormons think they are such a moral people but they support the liar in the
White House overwhelmingly knowing he's morally bankrupt, a racist, and a
liar... When Clinton had a BJ in the White House Mormons lamented what he did
as demeaning the office and how children lost their innocents over the news
coverage...However nary a peep over the use of the words "pussy
grabbing", and "shithole " that's because in Utah Mormonism
isn't a religion but a political party... Russell Nelson is now the head of the
Mormon Church and he promoted Dallin Oaks and demoted the German. I once saw
Dallin Oaks and his polygamy wife at the Utah Symphony...he was so rude to her
and put out because she wasn't hurrying along following him... No affection or
kind gesture...
·
Ken
Jones Don't believe the load of crap my brother and dad are trying to sell you.
If there was a tape of my grandfather explaining our family history, this is
the first I've heard of it. Jehil had the kids DNA done last month, it confirms
much of what you've found. Looking at that old picture of Isaac Jones is like
looking into a mirror for me. You're on the right path with your research and I
wanted you to know that I and my family (the family that isn't insane I should
say) appreciate all of your efforts.
·
Benedgar
I would like you sometime to do a saliva DNA test that would test your Y
chromosome... We are only connected through the X or mitochondria gene... The
female...you through Donna, through Mom through Grandma Johnson through her
mother Ellen Fenter, through her mother Maggie Crawford through her mother
Margaret Whitman...
·
Ken
Jehil sent me a screen shot of one of your blog post, where my brother
responded to you, just to clarify where this is coming from.
·
Benedgar
I think your Jones Family is fascinating warts and all ... Too bad your brother
rejects it for a fantasy
·
Ken
Yeah, he's as bad as my dad
·
Benedgar
Your Jones family is posted on my Louis Williams Family FB page as well as the
complete Williams history too... Well at least you have a beautiful son and
daughter
·
Ken
I've been trying to read all of the things you've posted as much as time
allows. I find it all fascinating. Thank you I guess I just get frustrated with
my father’s lies. I've had to deal with this my whole life. It's to the point
where I sometimes feel like I don't even know who I really am. I've had very
little family connections, and now that I'm finally trying to reconnect and
understand the truth, I feel like my father is still there trying to taint all
of it with his lies. I've been talking with my father’s sister and her
daughter. They seem completely normal. I found out my grandmother lived until
the age of 85, she died in 2012. It would have been nice to have had some
contact with her. Add that to the list of things denied to me by my father. My
aunt confirmed that my grandfather Jones
was abandoned by his father at a young age, he tried reconnecting with him when
he was older and was denied. So my grandfather probably had very little family
information to pass on to my father from that part of his family. Most of the
stories probably come from my grandfather's maternal side. Which makes many of
the things that Jehil has found make sense. On my grandfather's mother's side
there is a Jonas by way of Sweden. It appears the Jonas name is not connected
to the Jones side at all. The Swedish Jonas side where relatively recent
immigrants as my father said, but it appears the Jones side has been in this
country for a very long time. I'm not sure how he came up with them being
Welsh. My children's DNA came back with large amounts of Irish and British, as
well as Welsh and Swedish. I was reading those notes from my brother on your
old blog post and It really angered me how much they lie. The two of them can
barely figure out how to plug a TV into the wall. When I was a kid I had to
program the vcr timer because my dad couldn't do it. I find it hard to believe
they were able to locate Welsh tax records from over two hundred years ago.
That tape of my grandfather does not exist. How does he know a black Jones
family lived down the street from my family in long Beach? He doesn't even know
where he lives at most of the time. I really don't see what his point about Daisy's
grave marker is, maybe there was one in the fifties when he visited as a child
and it has been destroyed over the years. It's sad how some people try to
invent their own reality. I know he's mentally ill but it's hard to forgive him
for much of what he has done and now he has my brother following in his
footsteps. It's interesting to find out that many of the men on my father's
side where poor fathers. It goes to show how much of a vicious circle it is
when a child doesn't have his parents around. It just keeps repeating
generation after generation. I'm proud to say that I think I may have broken
that circle.
·
Benedgar
I know you have broken that cycle for just being there for your kids and
letting them know they are loved... I was surprised how vehemently he dismissed
the research I did which is well documented... I think the murder of your great
great grandparents were the beginning of a cycle of generations that were set
adrift...
·
Ken
I feel it's going to be my legacy to break that cycle and begin to right some
of the wrongs of the past. I want to make sure my children and grandchildren
are productive members of society so all the hard work and suffering of
generations past wasn't for nothing. My father wouldn't know the truth if it
slapped him in the face.
18 January 2018 Thursday
Now that the New Year’s Resolutioners are gone, I went back to the gym walking and doing the exercise equipment. I felt guilty seeing how Chuck cannot walk without a cane I have no excuse not to exercise. Chad Anderson had a discussion meeting about how to help raise money to create a documentary movie about the tragic murder of Gordon Church. I was invited and had planned on going but unintentionally completely blew it off. Jesse Dolce went as he was Gordon’s boyfriend before he was murdered. I got a call from Michael Aaron saying a reporter from KUTV wanted to talk to me about Tony Adams murder
·
Jesse
Dolce Thank you Benedgar Williams for introducing me to Chad.
·
Jim
Dabakis my hubby just said that he
didn't want to go to PVT Saturday night. have you seen Bright Star? The review
says the show is shining over PMT's stage, and it is radiant! It's a production
that has a beautiful freshness, and honesty unlike most touring shows. Several
of the cast members are from the original cast in the Broadway production, and
Carmen Cusack is one of the most diverse performers I have seen. Her ability to
move from a young ingenue to a mature women within seconds is remarkable. She
is leaving the show after the SLC run, It’s a most heartwarming show not to be
missed.
·
I
would love to have gone but I have a bunch of folks coming over for dinner that
night ... I am so grateful that you think of me... I am sure you will find a
good theater date... I loved your show by the way
19 January 2018 Friday
I went to the Northwest Community Center’s gym
and walked on the tread mill and did some weight lifting on the machines this
morning. Then came home and wanted to get some baking done for tomorrow. Adventures
in baking... I wanted to make a coconut cream pie for Jim McMullin and I had a
can of coconut milk up in the cupboard left by Ben Anderson and thought my that
should make the filling tasty... So I cooked up the pie filling and put in
toasted coconut... Licking the spoon I thought hmmm this has a tangy after
taste so I looked at the can and it said best use by April 2009 lol ... Threw
the pie out and made it again the old fashion way with just milk ... Ha-ha ...
I am letting it set overnight then I will cover it with whipped cream... So
much for being adventurous. I posted on my USHS Lecture Series site my writings
on the AIDS deaths from 1983 to 1999 that I had gleaned. I guess the premier of
Silent Heroes about Dr. Kristin Ries and Maggie Snyder made me start to think
about AIDS again. Today is my dad’s 93rd birthday. He died in 2004
at the age of 79.
20 January 2018 Saturday
Yesterday morning it was 50 degrees ... Today
not so much lol about 25 this morning... There's at least 5 inches of snow on
the veranda... Not shoveling until much later and hopefully it will be mostly
gone ...Went to the gym yesterday but no need today...got my aerobic exercise
shoveling snow so I can walk in a winter wonderland... I shoveled it all up on the
flower beds and grass because God knows we need the moisture... First snow dump
since Christmas Day and at least 5 inches. I cleared the back steps this
morning so I could bring Harleigh up without breaking my neck but within a
short period it all got dusted with snow again... But I just cleared it again
and as long as it does snow again the pups are good to go. It was a busy day
preparing for movie night. Now if the hounds don't scatter their Chewies and
toys I've picked up or track in too much snow...I've got 24 little feet running
in and out. Having company over this evening so besides the coconut cream pie I
made a chocolate meringue pie too... You can never have too many desserts with
company... Got my floors swept, mopped, and vacuumed... So that's a big deal I've
got the clam chowder done except for adding half and half just before
company... It can curdle if cooked too long... I am also warming up chicken
noodle soup that I made the other day... Joel Jay Vallar came over early to
prep a Spinach salad while I baked my dinner rolls and whip the cream for the
coconut cream pie. Got the drive way done and steps... If you want to come over
about 4:30 to prep my spinach salad
while I whip cream for the coconut pie...
I have dried cranberries, red onion, an apple, walnuts, and hard-boiled
eggs for the salad... Also just going to make a ranch dressing for it...I made meringue
for the chocolate pie which when I browned it you have to watch it like a hawk
as it can really get away from you.... Jay and I talked about him moving in
down stairs but we will see if it happens. Only TJ, Jim, Charles Bigo, and Mike
Romero came over and Jay left after dinner to go back home to stay with Kai.
Greg Allen dropped by around 7 while we were already watching it’s a Mad, Mad,
Mad, Mad World. TJ and Jim had never seen it. Everyone said the Coconut Cream
pie was good though I didn’t have any. I just had a small bowl of Clam Chowder,
spinach salad, and a sliver of chocolate pie. I sent the left overs home with
ever one. After going to bed I had a nasty surprise when in my sleep I had
diarrhea and had to get up, shower, and strip my bed. The spinach must have
played a number on my digestive tract.. ugh so about midnight I am changing
sheets and blankets before I could let the pups back up on the bed. They were
not happy having their sleep interested and neither was I. This is the second
time since I had surgery last May that I had soiled my bed. I never had before
in my life. The Women March in cities all over America is in the news. Hundreds
of thousands of Women are protesting Trump.
·
Charles
Bigo The food was great as always! Thanks for being such a great friend, Ben.
It was an enjoyable evening with special friends!
·
T.J.
Otaka I agree with Charles. Thank you for your hospitality, Ben. We enjoyed
the time with our friends and your pups.
21 January 2018 Sunday
Gaging from the amount of food left over none,
I'd say my dinner party was a success. Two pies gone, two crock pot of soups,
gone, a big bowl of Spinach salad gone, buttered dinner rolls gone... All
that's left is a few oyster crackers lol.. We watched it's a Mad Mad Mad Mad
World and some of my company had never seen it... It's filmed in California in
1962 and makes me nostalgic for the Southern California I grew up in plus the
tremendous comedic talent... Ethel Merman's mother-in-law role is consummate.
Anyway learned after going to bed that raw spinach salad does an unpleasant
number on my digestive tract... So only cooked from now on... Raw veggies are a
thing of the past...Spent the morning cleaning up after the party from
yesterday and adding obituaries to my list of AIDS deaths for my Utah Stonewall
Historical Society Lecture Series site. At noon I got ready to head down to
Draper to see Kyle at the State Pen. Visiting times was from 1 to 3 pm. I
wasn’t even sure if he hadn’t been move but he was still in Wasatch. It was
good to see him after I had missed his last phone calls. He said that he’d be
moving tomorrow morning to section A of Lone Peak where those inmates who work
off site will be housed. They are shutting down Wasatch after they had just
opened it I guess because of staffing shortages. Probably one of the reasons
for the gang fights that had locked down the prison when I attempted to go out
there last week. He will have to call or write me the new visiting hours for
Lone Peak because it’s not on the Prison web page yet. The facility is separate
and apart from the main prison so I won’t have to go through the guard station
and then into the waiting area before they let me into the prison into the
visiting area. I will be glad for that. It was crowded today I suppose because
of the lock down last week. We had a good visit him telling me how he’s already
been over there helping clean the place up since it had been closed for two
years. He won’t have his own room and shower anymore but will be in an open
dorm area with about 30 other guys sharing 1 shower, and 2 toilets. Remind me
never to go to prison. After the visit I thought about going out to see Jim and
TJ but I was too mentally exhausted and since I just saw them yesterday I just
headed back home. It was a beautiful winter day with the air clean and crisp
and the sky so blue. It was in the mid 30’s. I had made a crock of bean soup
this morning and it was ready by the time I got home and that was my supper.
Spent some time with the pups and on FB before heading for bed. The Republicans
are trying to spin their Government shut down as the fault of the Democrats
although they control both houses of Congress and the Executive Branch. Every
government shutdown in the past 25 years have been under a Republican Congress.
22 January 2018 Monday
I went to Centerville to have my teeth cleaned
for $95 . I have to go back in 3 months because some of my gums are receding. Meeting
with a reporter from KUTV tomorrow who is doing a story on the murder of Tony
Adams from 1978 hopefully to reopen the cold case... I guess they just want
some background material to put the times in context Benedgar Williams
I have so few pictures of me when I went to
BYU... I was kind of cute and no wonder I was in trouble down there LOL. I'm
about 23 in this picture.
·
Craig
Hunter And you’re not into mischief in Salt Lake City all the time? Lol. Lol
·
Roland
Ron Holmgren Yes you were.
·
Greg
Allen Smoking
·
Benedgar
Williams I still have this shirt lol
·
Greg
Allen Wear it and post then and now pics side by side! You're thin again!
·
Bill
Poore I think I might have done you.....back then. You look familiar, I never
forget a mouth......
·
Benedgar
Williams Not unless you went down to Provo... I didn't have a car back then lol
·
Bill
Poore weren't we at the U at the same time?
·
Benedgar
Williams I never went to school at the U...in 1977 through 1980 I worked
managing the Huddle in the Union Bldg. and then on a set up crew at the Special
Event Center I was at BYU from 1973 to 1976
·
Bill
Poore You must have known the acting out places at the U? I left SLC in Aug of
76
·
Benedgar
Williams Never went much further north than Pleasant Grove and south to the hot
springs in Spanish Fork Canyon LOL. I got kicked out in May 1976 and went home
to Garden Grove and didn't come back to Utah until Nov 1976 when I started
working in the sandwich department in the Union Bldg. I got married in January
1977.
23 January 2018 Tuesday
I made a Bacon, onion, spinach, and mushroom
quiche this morning... Getting tired of soup... I hope I can eat it 'cause real
men don't eat quiche...( that’s an old the reference to a book from the 1970s)
I can't eat raw spinach anymore like last Saturday... It goes right through
me... But cooked is good... My salad days figuratively and literally are in the
past... After it was done I went to the gym and did some weight riffs and
walked a mile before coming home to get ready to meet Jeremy Harris at the
Tribune building at the Gateway. I wasn’t sure where the Tribune offices were
so I wandered around the Gateway until I found it. There Jeremy and his camera
man took me up to the 7th floor where the Tribune’s offices were
secured and where I was interviewed in their conference room. They wanted
background material on what the Gay community was like back then in the 1970’s...
The police are looking for the missing murder weapon hoping to get DNA off of
it but no state agency knows it's whereabouts... Never been in the Tribune
Offices before... Half expected to run into Perry White, Lois Lane, and Jimmy
Olson. A Tribune reporter named Tiffany Caldwell sat in on the interview and
took my contact information for future stories. I met with them at 2 and I was
home by 3:30 from talking to reporters from KUTV and the Tribune about the
murder of Tony Adams 40 years ago. The KUTV story aired tonight at 10 pm but
somehow I missed it... Harleigh and Lulubelle are being such butts about
dinner...I fixed everyone a roasted chicken thigh and Purina canned dog food
for supper and they would eat it...they just wanted split pea soup... Weirdos Republicans
are cruel and hateful people...they are trying to spin that Democrats are hurting
Americans at the expense of protecting illegal aliens... What a vicious lie
when it was the sexual predator in the White House with his obsession with
Obama's legacy who undid the Dreamers Act causing the conflict in the first
place. These Dreamers for all intent and purpose ARE Americans... Brought here
as children no fault of their own...Republicans are selfish, greedy, and un-American...
Supporters of fascism and oligarchy –
24 January 2018 Wednesday
I don't know what is wrong with me... I've gone
to the gym all this week...this isn't normal... Either I'm bored or I have a
rare disease...Trying something new with Buster...I put a harness on him and
walked him around the block. He's not left the house or backyard since
November... I want him to associate the harness with a good thing because in
February I have to take him in for a dental checkup and he's not been in the
car since I brought him home... He's afraid of the car... I think he associates
car rides with something bad... I took Harleigh out for a constitutional walk
too... Maybe it will strengthen his legs
25 January 2018 Thursday
Busy morning ... Richard Butler came over to
show me a Nissan he just bought... Beautiful vehicle then when he left off to
the gym...I know it's boring hearing me write about going to the gym but it's
kind of like Weight Watchers that it works because you have to weigh in front
of others... Since I have no motivation to go to the gym... Maybe posting on FB
will help... I did a set of weights for 15 minutes and walked 1 and a third
mile with my heart rate in the cardio zone for 37 minutes... Then came home and
walked Buster and Maxx for a little bit... I am Feeling sorry for myself
because I have to exercise and all the soreness that goes along with it and
then I remembered I have a hot tub... Amazing how 104-degree water lifts the
spirit... Plus haven't weighed myself since November and my home scale says I
am 183 lbs...I know that's not as accurate as the digital scales the doctors
use but I haven't been at this weight for over 35 years ... In 2001 I weighed
275 lbs...
26 January 2018 Friday
What a pain... I had to go to the DMV to prove
I have insurance on the Sonoma because some dumb shit agency that the state
hired to track who has insurance and who doesn't says I don't... I can't
register the truck which is due at the end of the month until I do; even though
I have been paying insurance to Horace Mann faithfully for 20 years. Ugh and
then in the states infinite wisdom they have divided the DMVs from the Driver
License places so instead of just going to the fairgrounds down the street I
have to go to 2900 South... Ugh Well I am exhausted from dealing with the
DMV...so when I get up to the counter with proof of my insurance the lady said
it wasn't effective until tomorrow! I looked at it and sure enough I brought
down my most recent proof...she said because it wasn't effective until tomorrow
I had to show proof that I had insurance since July or pay $100 reinstatement fee...
I was frustrated but I did have her take Mike Romero off my title which was the
problem in the first place because they thought he hadn't had insurance on the
truck. So I had to go back home and dig through my papers and luckily I found
my insurance form showing I had continuous insurance... I drove back down to
2800 South and 300 West, got back in line and fortunately I got this lady who
was the mother of a student I had taught 18 years ago...of course I remembered
her kid who is 29 now and she took care of everything for old Mr. Williams who she
said was Kurtis favorite teacher... Didn't make it to the gym but I did walk,
Maxx, Lulubelle, and Harleigh separately around the block ... May be I will go
later after the stress of this morning wears off... Taking Maxx and Lulu Belle
in for their rabies shots on Monday...
27 January 2018 Saturday
I created a new Blog page to put all my
Danforth material on. So I've been blogging most of the morning before heading
down to gym...it was crowded with Jr Jazz basketball camp... Noisy as a school
bus on a field trip...but I did my reps and walked my mile before coming home
and walking Harleigh for a half hour and Lulubelle for 20 minutes...Buster
didn't want to go and I don't want to force him to do anything... So I had these
7 over ripe bananas ... What to do what to do... I think I went a bit over
board and made four loaves of banana nut bread... Oh well they will freeze
good... I roasted Chicken breasts for the pups supper... I am having a frozen
Marie Calendar dinner ha! If I can
finish it... If not Lulubelle will be more than happy to finish it for me.
28 January 2018 Sunday
When I got up this morning I saw Buster and
Buddy in bed together... So cute to see those two old dogs sharing creature
comforts in their old ages. I met Bill Poore in the city at noon and we went
out for lunch today at Village Inn because our Chinese place, Charlie Chows was closed I guess for Sunday... He paid me
$100 for February from the money I loaned him last year. Village Inn was busy
and I have a bit of nostalgia for the place as I have been eating there at that
location for over 40 years. It was the go-to place after meetings held up on
campus.. But eating out is kind of wasted on me... I ordered a half Reuben
sandwich and a cup of tomato basil soup and could only eat a half of a half of
the sandwich before I felt stuffed. It was nearly $9 just for that. But Bill
Poore paid so why am I complaining. I mainly just wanted to visit any way and
give Bill a loaf of banana bread. Nothing too new to record. It looks like they
are remodeling or tearing down the Wendy's on 4th South and 6th East... What's
up with that? I didn't go to the gym today but did take Harleigh and Lulubelle for
walks. I worked on a new Blog today on which I am posting all my Danforth
Research.
·
Kevin
Scott What's your Chinese place of choice?
·
Bill
Poore We go to Charlie Chows on 4th around 3rd East....it is not great, just
one we have been to a great deal. I only have soup anyway.....
·
Kevin
Scott Ah, their good. A little pricey. We go to another buffet on 33rd South
State which has a Mongolian BBQ. Admittedly not as good, but cheap and quick.
We rotate between 3-4 Chinese places pretty much weekly.
·
Benedgar
Williams You got to hit these places before the health department does
·
Jesse
Dolce Bountiful us one of the best Chinese places called Boba World. Fresh and
so tasty. Very clean restaurant with friendly staff. They have had several
reviews and always fare well. Food is. It over priced and always hot and fresh.
·
Paul
Jennens I like Little World? Small World? The Chinese is 小世界。
·
Benedgar
Williams the service at Little World is not very good though I use to like
their food... Last time I went it was iffy...
·
Kevin
Scott They have an abominable history with the Salt Lake Health Department and
have been closed multiple times. After Jose and I had a really bad experience
there once, I'll never go back even though I used to be a big fan.
29 January 2018 Monday
My sleep was broken up a few times because of
the dogs. Lulubelle was whining because Buster wouldn’t let her up on the bed.
Then Buddy started whining because Buster wouldn’t let him off the bed. Then
Harleigh started barking to be helped up the stairs. But I was up a little bit
before Coco arrived. I fixed a cup of coffee and two link sausages, a scrambled
egg, and some fried hash browns with a slice of American cheese. The pups got
the two sausages, most of the egg and hash browns. Just didn’t’ feel like
eating. It’s a beautiful day today and I had a busy morning. I dropped Lulubelle
and Maxx off at the Dog Park vet to get their rabies shots renewed and Maxx needs
to his nails clipped. So does TJ who screams
like a banshee whenever he gets a manicure. After dropping them at 9 I went to
the North west gym working out until 10, walking a mile and doing my weight
lifting reps. After that I went to Smiths for chicken for the pups and some
more eggs that were on sale for 99 cents for a dozen. Bought a few more items
on sale and came home to cook a crock pot full of lima beans and ham for my
supper. All the snow is completely gone except for what is in the shadows. Levon
texted message me and said his status hearing is tomorrow. The way the climate
for immigration is these days I’d say his chances are iffy.
30 January 2018 Tuesday
No super blue eclipse moon this morning with
all the cloud cover over the city... Oh well. I did watch it being steamed live
from Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles.
Well I am pooped out... Took the truck in at 9
am to get it registered... It only took 15 minutes now that they don't do
safety inspections...so I am law abiding for another year...then went down to
the gym and did my work out until 10:30 then worked in the yard for two hours
trimming back my Russian Sage that has taken over the parking strip...so after
trimming and raking I am tuckered out... It's going to be 57 degrees today...
How could I not do some yard clean up? Now for a bowl of Lima bean soup...
31 January 2018 Wednesday
Didn't make it to the gym today but I spent 2
and half hours doing yard work. Cut all my Russian sage back, raked out all the
leaves, trimmed my forsythias back, cut back all yard grasses and yarrow and
raked and raked... Still a lot to do but it felt really good to be grubbing in
the soil again. And its only January 31st!
I propose that every American who opposes
citizenship for DACA individuals must prove their patrilineal decent from a pre–Revolutionary
War man or prove citizenship papers from or be deported back to their country
of origin... If you going to play that game of racial bigotry and that is what
it is... If you are going to be a Nazi play it all the way...An Amtrak train
carrying the entire Republican House delegation to West Virginia slammed into a garbage truck. Kind of poetic
justice there. The GOP is imploding with about 35 GOP Congressmen not running
for reelection this year.
·
Bill
Poore I took on half the pool today, didn't give them an inch. One made the
mistake of saying Trump is the best president we have had......well that did
it.
·
Benedgar
Williams I would have gone bonkers too...
FEBRUARY
1 February 2018 Thursday
Got a late start to the gym today because my
gut was hurting... Not sure why... Sometimes it just does whether I eat or
not... I bought myself a radio FM head set for the gym so as to make walking
more enjoyable... I can listen to NPR on the go now... It must be working
because I walked a mile and a half instead of my usual mile... I ate a little
bowl of Lima beans and ham to see if that helps the old stomach ache... Didn’t
much. I baked some Mac and Cheese for supper tonight...... My poor tummy hasn't
been well today... Maybe this will help some... Home from going to the theater
with Alan Anderson and Kyle G. Daniels... Went to the Rose Wagner Theater and
saw the play “I and You” that had a Walt Whitman theme about two high school
students... It was a two-person performance and the actors Cora Fossen, who is
an actual high school student and Tristan Johnson were phenomenal... Wish I was feeling a bit
better so I could have observed it better... All day my stomach has been acting
up and hurting… really gassy. My first car I bought was a 1971 Pinto Runabout
this same color... I bought mine in 1972 for $1600 with a 11-gallon gas tank I
usually filled it for $3.50... I loved this car and had it until 1978 when it
froze to death in a Dallas ice storm... In 1976 drove it across country and had
it when I was in college at BYU... I called it my Pinto Blow about...Jimmy
Hamamoto sent me his itinerary for his stay with me. He’s coming in late
Tuesday the 21 and staying until Monday,
February 26. The world has gone topsy turvy when I support the FBI over
Congress.... The difference between Trump and Nixon was that when Nixon was
elected no one knew he was a crook.
·
Bill
Poore wow I just knew you were a Pinto kind of guy, it all fits, Texas, BYU,
and a green Pinto. I surprised BYU didn't send you on a mission.
·
David
Andreason I had one of these in beauty school--root beer color. I was a little
more conservative than you. ;)
·
Roland
Ron Holmgren My first new car was a black Pinto. The only one sold in Utah. I
was involved in a fifteen truck-car pileup. The back was crushed, the front was
sheared off, but where my passenger and I were sitting, the car was totally
intact. I loved my Pinto.
2 February 2018 Friday Ground Hogs Day and Candlemas
Well it’s Candlemas and we are half way through
winter. Tired and not feeling all that perky. I worked most of the morning on
the Danforth blog and after working for a couple of hours it crashed and I lost
all that work. I knew I could reconstruct it but the time lost really pissed me
off. I made some French Onion Soup hoping that would set well on my stomach
that is out of sorts. My compost can wasn't picked up... Instead it had a note
on it saying the service is discontinued until March... Well they can kiss my
Aunt Fanny if they think that's gonna stop me from yard clean up... I have two
green trash barrels that will do the job just fine... Its 56 degrees out and
flower beds don't want to wait until March in this weather. Then I noticed that
my mini iPad was acting weird and then it went blank. So my mini iPad finally
died on me. I had dropped it a while back and saw that it was slightly cracked
but had worked just fine until now.. debating on replacing it with a tablet instead
getting another iPad... I could just use my iPhone but I like the portability
of an iPad... I went on FB and asked for suggestions. Some really liked their
Amazon Kindle Fire but when I read reviews it sounded like it wouldn’t fit my
needs. I was worried about simply buying a refurbished on so I finally ordered
a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" 32 GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver) through Amazon. It
was about $200. The Party of Re-Putin-icans are collaborators with the Russian
intent to divide us and create a civil strife among us if not a Civil War. When
the Republicans attack our institutions to prop up a unpopular president they
have lost all claims to being patriots. The new talking point for Stone cold
Conservatives is ending “Chain immigration” saying that immigrants are breaking
in all their extended family. Very few people ever came to America alone and if
they did it was to make enough money to bring other family members with them...
Stone cold Conservatives only want a "whites only" chain migration...
These bastards like Trump sycophants forget that African Americans were the
only true "chain" migrants.
3 February 2018 Saturday
I went down to Draper to see Kyle in his new
facility at Lone Peak. I made sure I had plenty of time because I had no idea
what the procedures were for visitors in the new location. Actually it was much
more pleasant than the old jail at Wasatch where the guards treated us like we
were the prisoners. It was different however as there is no guard station
asking to see your driver’s license and were abrupt to the point of being rude.
Here you parked and then walked to the gate entrance…pushed a button to let a
patrol guard no you are there. He drives by in a truck checks your I.D. and
then operates the gate that leads you to the building. Then you can go in but
then you have to wait to be buzzed into the main waiting area. The guards were
much more pleasant. The time for A-F inmates was from 9:30 until 11:00. When I
said I was there to see Kyle, the guard said he had been a great help setting
the place up. They waved a metal detector wand rather make you walk through a
one. There was just another woman and me and when he went to wand me I asked if
I should take my keys out and he acted chagrinned because he had forgotten to
ask for them when he took our licenses. Anyway we were taken unto a room the
size of a new classroom and it had been set up with new chairs and tables. It
was good to see Kyle even though didn’t have that much news since we just
talked on Wednesday. He didn’t know I was coming so it was a good surprise for
him. I told him I wanted to find out what the new routine was going to be. We
had a good visit and I hoped it raised his spirits some. When our time was up I
gave him a big hug and then left. Since it was such a beautiful day I took a
chance and drove over to see TJ and Jim in Daybreak. They were home and just
sat down for some lunch but we had a nice visit anyway. It seems like it’s been
forever since I’ve seen people and it’s only been about 2 weeks. I was home by
1:30 and after finishing off my French onion soup I decided to do some yard
work instead of housework. I spent 2 and half hours raking, cleaning out flower
beds and just doing some Spring cleanup even if it’s not Spring. I fixed the
dogs their supper and now I am tuckered out. I miss have my mini- iPad. I am
watching a great series on Netflix called Babylon Berlin. It’s a German
production with subtitles about life in the Weimar Republic in 1929.
4 February 2018 Sunday
I always consider this my anniversary of my
official coming out day from 1986. Major bedroom cleaning... stripped the bed
and made it up with sheets and blankets... can’t believe I sleep with dog
chews, doggie biscuits, and anything else they like to hide... can’t believe I
had so many spider webs on my ceiling over the past year... Miss Lulubelle also
had a few accidents that I had to use my carpet cleaner on... but all nice and
fresh for at least a day. First stages of dementia is setting in. When I went to the
store this afternoon I looked down at my
hands and noticed that my two rings were not on my fingers. I thought that was
really weird because I rarely ever take them off. One is an enamel rainbow ring
and the other is a purple amethyst that is set in a silver Celtic style. I've
looked through the entire house and I cannot find them and even worse I cannot
ever remember taking them off. Last Thursday I was even complemented on the
rainbow ring at the theater by Sheryl
Ginsberg. ... I am worried they may have slipped off yesterday when I was doing
yard work and picking up leaves with my hands. Still it’s a mystery.
5 February 2018 Monday
I spent much of the day putting my Danforth
histories on a blog I created just for it. So Democrats committed treason for
not clapping at the Fuhrers state of the mess speech? The Trump supporters are
a 5th column undermining America.. A fifth column is any group of people who
undermine a larger group from within, usually in favor of an enemy group or
nation. The Republican party has become a 5th column. The stock market has
dropped 1500 points... How’s that working out for you, idiot trump supporters
6 February 2018 Tuesday
My new Samsung tablet came today. I was tickled
that it came so fast as they said it would be delivered the 8th.. so I’m trying
to figure it out...there’s a bit of a learning curve from the iPad but I feel connected once again to the world.
I wanted to take Bill Poore to lunch today for his birthday but he had several
VA doctor appointments so invited him to lunch tomorrow. John Cooper posted on
his FB page “Well it’s official. I have terminal Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. I
will be gone in days, not weeks. I will be going into the VA hospice within the
week.” What horrible news to have to post. Its seems strange that he would post
this just after I had written that February 4th was my coming out
day. I went to my first Gay meeting which was Salt Lake Affirmation of which
John Cooper was back then Chapter director.
7 February 2018 Wednesday
Bill Poore came over for lunch and since he was
busy for his birthday yesterday I fixed a pot roast dinner for him. Made
carrots, spinach with bacon, buttered corn, parsley mashed potatoes, onion
brown gravy, biscuits, and of course a pot roast... I also made him some banana
bread that I sent home with him with all the left overs...Funny how times
change... when I was young going out for dinner was a treat... but now that I
am old and nobody cooks anymore... a homemade meal is a treat...even something
as simple as pot roast. Celebrity Big Brother premiered today. It’s my guilty
pleasure for sure. The Asshole in the White House has ordered the Pentagon to
put on a Military Parade in Washington DC like the tinhorn fascists he is.
No president in
the history of this country has ever ordered a military parade for his own
ego... the only military parades in Washington have been after winning wars i.e.
the civil war, WWI, and WWII... this is obviously partisan and for his base...
Cadet Bone Spur should have join the service ... phony patriot.
8 February 2018 Thursday
Since tomorrow is trash pickup day, I spent 45
minutes going through the yard waste I had in my 55-gal trash bin. I did it
twice sifting a hand full at a time and I found my faerie ring but not my
rainbow ring... this faerie one has more sentimental value to me as I bought it
in 1988 at Gypsy Moon for $70 back then... it was my first purchase during my
first year of teaching when I was so poor bringing home about $800 a month...I
got a gratuity check for taking some classes and I bought this faerie ring because
I read in “Another Mothers Tongue” that Gay people should always wear purple
somewhere on their body for protection... and it has so far... I miss my
rainbow ring that I bought with Michael Romero when we went to Seattle for
Pride Day once I think in 1995. But nothing lasts forever. I guess I can wear
my high school class ring now... it's from the Class of 69 at Rancho Alamitos
and I bought it in 1968 for $35 which was a lot of money back then... I was
only making $1.65 An hour working part time. Our school colors were green and
gold so the glass stone in the gold setting is green. It's 10 k gold...all the
guys were getting the typical big knuckle round class ring but I was the only
one I knew who bought this slimmer design because it was unique... and I knew I
was different from the other boys... Coming back from taking Coco home, this
Asian gal bumped my Cruiser at a stop light. When I got out to see if there was
any damage she was so distraught and I just told her to be more careful and pay
better attention. I was in a hurry to get home LOL In the evening Went to the
Utah Museum of Fine Arts this evening to hear a presentation given by Gregory
Hinton on preserving western Gay history. Charles Bigo and Richard Harmston
invited me to tag along. Saw Jim McMullin and T.J. Otaka, Craig Miller, and
Stan Rovig there also and many other community members but wasn’t that big of a
turn out but then I guess tonight was opening ceremonies for the Winter
Olympics in South Korea. I talked briefly with Mr. Hinton beforehand and he
said he was impressed with the amount of material on Gay history in the
Marriott Library... I said well 37 linear feet was donated by me... lol
9 February 2018 Friday
A day late and a dollar short but I finished my
Lambda Lore article for March's QSalt Lake that was due yesterday. I wrote
about MCC’s early years in 1972 and 1973 here in SLC. Busy morning though. I
went to the gym about 10 am and walked a bit and did some weight repetitions. I
got a notice in the mail that I have appointments with my bariatric team on the
22nd. Coming home I drained the hot tub, cleaned it, and as it was
refilling I drove to Centerville to buy a new filter...so once it heats back up,
it should be good to go. I also blew some of the leaves of the deck and did a
little cleaning outside picking up all the doggy toys and throwing them in the
washer.. Yesterday, I realized I had a dozen eggs down in the garage refrigerator
so I made 24 deviled eggs and gave 16 of them to Michael along with some
oatmeal cookies I made. I kept a few to make egg salad sandwiches. I had one
for lunch and got through 3/4 of it. Yum. Here I am cleaning my hot tub and
back east they are cancelling flights because of a winter storm... strange. It
was about 60 degrees today. I heard the stock market is down 10 percent and has
wiped out all its gains for the year. A couple of White House officials have
resigned over allegations of spousal abuse. One is a Mormon who had worked for
Orrin Hatch. Hatch at first defended him saying it was slander against a decent
guy but when photos showed up he just said that domestic violence is a serious
issue but never apologized to the women to whom he called liars.
·
Brandon
Burt I think the time is ripe to bring back the lambda symbol It can symbolize
real Gays' commitment to the cause and the community, as loaded opposed to the
fuckbots who wouldn't notice or be bothered anyway. Let me clarify that: It
could symbolize the commitment of the real Gays to the cause and to the
community. The fuckbots who don't give a shit about our history and culture
won't notice or be bothered anyway. Sorry, I was so excited about the idea I
forgot to type properly. I wonder if being capital-G Gay can become defiant and
sexy again. I think men are rejecting it because they see it as little more
than old Queens like me tutting, passing judgment, and telling longwinded
stories about the good old days. Say something, Ben!
·
Benedgar
I think the young LGBTQ men will have to find their own tribe again before they
can regain the concept of a community of brothers...I have used the term Lambda
Folk for a long time but as long as people choose to be identified by others
and not by themselves nothing will change. I ever heard a reporter on a local
news station say LGBTQ the other day... I almost gagged.
·
Brandon
I was just realizing that it's meaningless for me to say things like
"Let's bring back the lambda" because 1. It hasn't gone anywhere,
it's part of our history, but 2. These days, my 1990s-era media savvy and eight
bucks will buy me a cup of coffee. I have no power to popularize any symbol
anymore, and it's a relief not to be expected to.
·
Brandon
Just remaining true and authentic is enough of a challenge.
·
Benedgar
Life is easier recording history rather than making it... but not nearly as
much fun as being young and full of piss and vinegar [and sometimes cum LOL]
·
Brandon
Lol. All three at once! I remember that salad
·
Benedgar
substitute vinegar for beer and there you have it
·
Brandon
There is still plenty of dick to be had! I'm not bashing sex. I'm just
uncomfortable with fisting becoming a mainstream act.
·
Benedgar
Not among those I associate with nor wearing furry costumes lol
·
Brandon
I've made the acquaintance of a bright young man who does restaurant work in
Tooele but aspires to study in college; he stopped by a few months ago and as
we were chatting, passing around soft drinks, he casually produced a Fleshlight
and a porn video and started masturbating. It's a thing now. Masturbation as a
social pastime
·
Benedgar
Well why the hell not? LOL... My prefer sex the old fashion way LOL
·
Brandon
It wasn't even very sexy, I felt as though I could join in if I liked, but
there was no special urgency. I miss urgency.
·
Benedgar
You should have just seduced him and showed him what Gay sex is all about.
·
Brandon
I love the idea of a masturbatorium where people can jack off together and talk
or whatever without it being serious sex. It just took me aback I think I
should. Lol. As soon as I get some Viagra
·
Benedgar
Ah you mean jack off clubs
·
Brandon
No! Not them They're soooo serious and dark and intense and nobody talks except
to say, "fuck yeah."
·
Benedgar
LOL ...
·
Brandon
This would just be a nice, sunny room with refreshments and moist towelettes.
Lots of them Ah, Ben, I love ya. I gotta get my day started, I'm late enough as
it is...
·
Benedgar
Have a Gay Old-Time bye
·
Brandon
You have a Gay old time, too, Snugglebear
10 February 2018 Saturday
I worked on the Family of Rev. David White and
Susannah Wells for much of the morning before getting ready to head down to
Draper to visit Kyle Foote at one o’clock. It was crowded today compared to
last week and quite noisy in the small room. Kyle was fine and we just talked
about Celebrity Big Brother and politics as that nothing new was going on since
our last visit. The visiting time was just until 2:30. It was really cool down
there compared to the 60 degrees yesterday. I thought it was going to be warmer
so I only wore a short sleeve shirt and no jacket. Big mistake. It only got up
to about 42 compared to yesterday. On the way home stopped at Colonial Flags at
90th South to buy another flag pole because the wooden one in the
back broke and I also stopped at the Barber College on 72nd South
for a hair and beard trim. The trainee did an okay job but at my age I’m not
really fussy. After buying some chicken gizzards for the dogs I was home by 5
and while fixing them their dinner, I got a message from Alan Anderson wanting
to drop by. I figured something must be up for him to want to come over on a
Saturday. So had a pleasant surprise when Alan Anderson dropped by for a
visit... I didn't have much in the house to offer but French onion soup,
deviled eggs, and oatmeal cookies. While we were eating I asked him what is
going on and he teared up saying that his Kyle was out on a “date” with a new
sex partner. It’s not serious and Kyle loves Alan but they don’t have sex
anymore and Kyle is relatively a young man and we both know he shouldn’t have
to give up the game just because we have. He knows that Kyle loves him and they
still sleep together and sometimes at our age that is just enough. I said at
least he is not keeping secrets from you. Alan was teary because he said he
doesn’t have anyone to talk to about how he feels when Kyle goes out for a romp
and leaves him home but I told him he always has me… no judgment just a
listening ear. He stayed to watch a movie, Rosalind Russell`s Auntie Mame which
he hadn't seen before...it's fun to watch an old favorite with someone for whom
it’s a new experience...all the pups were well behaved and even Buster joined
me in the movie room... So Alan left about 9 to go home to his babies and I
went to bed with mine… Bill Poore is coming over tomorrow for us to go for a
little Sunday drive.
11 February 2018 Sunday
For some reason I was wide awake at 3:30 a.m.
Rather than try to force myself back to sleep I got up and made a crockpot of
beef vegetable soup and typed up a little in this journal before going back to
bed at 5. My tummy was kind of gassy so I ate a half of a banana before
retiring again. The pups were all zoned. So I slept in until 7:30, got up and
had some coffee and a slice of buttered toast and honey for breakfast. Bill
Poore came over about noon and we went for a Sunday drive all through Davis
County top to bottom taking all the side streets through West Bountiful,
Centerville, Farmington, Kaysville, Layton, Clearfield to Sunset...showed him
my first elementary school I taught at in Sunset...It was just an excuse to get
out... before taking off we had vegetable beef soup and biscuits for lunch...He
brought me a bunch of scented candles and cans of nuts... So I sent him home
with soup, biscuits, and lemon cake... It was a pretty day for a drive but
nippy out compared to last week. After Bill left I went down to see John Cooper
in Sandy where he's in a hospice after being diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer... it's just a matter of days he said before he passes... he was a very
important part of my coming out experience back in February 1986 when he was
chapter director of Affirmation... I owe him so much gratitude for his
willingness to serve... if I've touch any body's life it's in part for John
being there for me. We are all connected.
·
Kyle
Good morning. I'm glad Alan had a good evening with you. He tells me this
morning you wanted to share something with me. Alan and I had a good heart to
heart talk this morning. Honestly, he's very grateful to have had you last
night. I'm such an asshole, I know that. Any way I'm sorry to Alan. He knows I
still love him. I just need to do better than the was in being. And my age is
no excuse. I know better. And finally thank you for being there for him last
night. I was not and I regret that.
·
Benedgar
Alan and I both know you love him, and we both know that you are young and have
certain sexual needs as well as you should. He understands this... just be
extra careful of his heart because he loves you so much and I know you know you
and Alan have a special real connection. Alan felt bad as he didn't think he
had anyone to talk to when he was feeling down. I told him that he will always
have me and so will you... He did tear up last night which made me sad... Maybe
I have let you down too... I love you both and I know that Gay relationships do
not a one size fits all. I miss you too... I think I have been worried that
losing so much weight and being wrinkling would be a turn off... I know you
both will work it out... just keep communicating and no secrets... you are
walking a fine line to break some hearts... be careful... you big dope... come
see me some time and we will talk.
·
Kyle
Thanks Ben. Communicating is definitely key. I agree. We definitely have a
special connection And I would be a dope to lose that. Thanks again Ben.
12 February 2018 Monday
Today Fran is 73 years old. Happy birthday old
girl. I had to take Lulubelle back for a reexamination to see if the infection
in her ears is clearing up. After dropping her off at the Dog Park Clinic I
went to the Northwest Community Center Gym at 9 and that's not a good time to
go... lots of old people... 10 or 11 is much better for the geriatric
generation is cleared out and the Millennial muscle boys haven't arrived yet.
So now I am home trying to make sense of 1981 and 1982 for a Wednesday
presentation. It looked like it was trying to rain in parts of the valley while
I was out but so far nothing here although it is gloomy. After picking up Lulu
Belle from the vet for a follow up she still had an infection in one of her
ears so they gave her some antibiotic ear drops. Another $60 but glad I can
take care of her. I worked mostly on getting my lecture for Wednesday all day.
I went out this evening to the Marmalade Library where Voices Heard: Hello
Goodbye was presented by Chad Anderson. He and John Bonner, and Meg Bee read from their
writings. I was shocked how much weight John Bonner lost. The readings were all
pretty intense. I sat with Cole Gilmore and I kicked over his tea... I felt so
bad... there was a pretty good turnout. I am glad I got out of the house on a
Monday evening. I also bought Chad's book Gay Mormon Father mostly because I
wanted to read it but also the proceeds go to help fund his documentary on
Gordon Church.
13 February 2018 Tuesday
Only time I went out of the house was to go
down to make ten copies of the Chronology for my lecture series. I asked Bill
Poore if he wanted me to take him out to
the cemetery tomorrow so he can put flowers on his mom’s grave. He said sure.”
·
Bill
Poore I have Chad’s book, was going to give it to you when I read it, my eyes
are bothering me too much to read the book....I think he is with me for not
reading it yet....he wants to know what I think. He likes to be praised
publicly for it.
·
Benedgar
I bought it actually as a donation to the project he's working on... Do you
know that old song “I'll see you in my dreams? John Cunningham came to me in my
dream last night and we held each other and kissed...something I never got to
do while he was alive... I wonder if his memory is alive in any one else since
his family is gone and he was never close to his brother James... I wonder if I
am all that's left who still loves him? Strange dream... Wednesday I will pick
you up at Smith's to go put flowers on your mom's grave... I have my lecture
done so I have time...
14 February 2018 Wednesday
Made Cheesy Ham and Potato soup for lunch... It
also has green and red bell peppers and onions for my veggies... the dash of
cayenne is good for the blood. I took Bill Poore out to put flowers on his
mother's grave as today is her birthday... It was breezier up on the east side
then here in the River District...he bought me some flowers too saying that I'd
bitch about it if I didn't get flowers today from somebody... I am all set for
my lecture series tonight...just got to make some cookies to take to the
library for those who come out...Home from the USHS lecture series...we had a
smaller than usual crowd due to it being Valentine's Day but the stalwarts were
there. I made chocolate chip cookies and talked about how it was in 1981 &
1982... I was surprised and touch that before the meeting John Cooper sister
brought him to the meeting to give me some archival material he wanted me to
have... he was too weak to stay but I felt honored that he would entrust me to
preserve what he gave me... He literally got off his death bed to come see me.
Another Valentine Day Massacre. In Florida 17 people were slaughtered in a high
school by a 17-year-old with a AR 15 assault weapon. Before George W Bush and
the GOP Congress let the ban on assault weapons expire there wasn't a weekly
school shooting. One of the reason Trump is okay with surrounding himself with
men who abuse their wives is that he is guilty of it himself. During a court
deposition, Ivana Trump—Donald's first wife and mother to Eric, Donald Jr. and
Ivanka—accused the president of raping her in 1989. The private account was
described in former Newsweek reporter Harry Hurt III’s 1993 book, Lost Tycoon.
It details the alleged "violent assault," in which Trump pulled out
fistfuls of his ex-wife’s hair after receiving a painful operation on his scalp
15 February 2018 Thursday
It was really cold today with the breeze making
it extra chilly. Did not leave the house today except to take Coco home. I made
a cheese burger for dinner. Before going to sleep I watch the completion of the
series Babylon Berlin. It’s really dark but really good. Following a school
shooting, the White House reportedly refused requests to release a photo of
trump signing a bill overturning an Obama-era regulation restriction on the
mentally ill from acquiring guns.
16 February 2018 Friday
I got a letter in the mail about my pension
plan from Ticor Title Insurance from so long ago. Not sure how much it is but
every bit helps I suppose. Then I went down to the NW Rec Center to work out
and just get out of the house. I walked about a mile and a half. For lunch I
fixed a cheese burger. It’s still chilly out but not as bad as yesterday. I am
burning out on blogging the Danforth Family History but I keep going on. So
burned out on some Americans obsession with guns. Child sacrifice is the
ritualistic killing of children in order to please or appease a god or
supernatural beings in order to achieve a desired result. The radical
theocratic Republicans and the simply obscenely wealthy have now extended child
sacrifice to placate the NRA for filthy lucre... Americans have been taken
captive by sociopaths...Okay let gun owners keep their guns but place a two-week
moratorium of the sale of any new fire arms after each mass shooting. At this
rate gun dealers will go out of business. Mueller’s grand jury indicted 13 Russians for interfering with the
2016 election. Trump is about as faithful to the Constitution as he was to his
wives and about as abusive... Special counsel issues indictment against 13 Russian
nationals over 2016 election interference. The indictment says Russian
defendants created hundreds of social media accounts to pose as politically
active Americans, purchased political ads on social media...
17 February 2018 Saturday
Michael picked me up to go the Grand
Theater at South High where we met up with Jim McMullin and TJ Otaka. We went
to see “The Musical Murder Mystery of 1940” which was really fun and seeing it in
a group made it even more fun. The seating was rather weird though because we
were seated over the orchestra pit and the play took play really on the back
stage. We want to see Spamalot that will be performed in May which should be a
lot of fun too... When dead children become the price to preserve the 2nd
amendment the NRA has become a terrorist
organization. How come everyone wanted to know Hillary Clinton’s reaction when
Bill Clinton cheated on her but no one asks Melania trump the same question.
Nuclear
bombs don't kill people ... People kill People ... oh wait nuclear bombs and
assault weapons are meant to kill people... never mind.
·
Chris Johnson Along those lines... Do you have a desire for
fame, glory, or notoriety? Would you like to be the center of attention without
any talent? Do you have an unresolved personal grievance that demands
vengeance? Would you like to command respect without having to earn it? Would
you like to know the secret that instantly turns a little man into a big man?
All you have to do is pick up a gun.
·
Ron
Johnson I'd highly recommend The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hale Centre
Theatre. A magnificent production! And soon, Desert Star Playhouse will be
presenting Spamilton.
18 February 2018 Sunday
The wind here in Westpointe has been fierce all
night. My outdoor chimes have been making music constantly since going to bed
to waking up. Must be a big cold front coming in with feets of snow forecast
for the mountains tonight. Taking Buster in tomorrow morning for a teeth checkup
in Murray. Hope the roads won’t be too bad. I made the appointment 2 months ago
so don't want to cancel it. Really did not do a lot of anything today. I did go
down to the prison to see Kyle and told him that I wouldn’t be coming next
weekend because so much is going on with Jimmy Hamamoto and Mike and I are
going out to Day Break for dinner with TJ and Jim. When I got home I cleaned
the house a little for Jimmy coming next week but other than that just watched
the tube and worked on the Danforth-White family genealogies… Those Connecticut
River Valley ancestors really had a time of it but probably no more than the
Native Americans that they were replacing. I watched a little bit of celebrity
Brig Brother this evening but am kind of losing interest in it because the
season is so short. Its over next week. I miss having a series to watch like
Babylon Berlin that was so good. The NRA controlled NRA is framing the debate
over gun control as a mental health issue even though they decimated Obama’s
Affordable Care Act and rescinded the law against the mentally ill buying
weapons. 98 percent of mass killing are committed by men not women who also
have mental illnesses. Gun Control is about keeping violent men from having
easy access to guns. There are two Americas, people who think Donald trump is
fraud and a narcissistic megalomaniac and those who think God has sent him to
save America. I wonder how it will end?
·
Bill
Poore screw Paul Ryan A vast of
Americans wants gun control...but the politicians are in the hip pockets
especially the Repos of the gun manufactures All you have to do is look at the
contributions to all of them by the manufactures.....evil bastards all of them.
19 February 2018 Monday President’s Day
The one day I have to take Buster down to
Murray for his dental checkup a blizzard comes to SLC. I scheduled it last
December and we had mostly really dry warm weather.. I didn’t dare reschedule as
it will be another 2 months if I do! There was 5 inches of snow this morning and
he has to be there to drop off between 7:30 and 8:00 So I got dressed in my
snow shoveling outfit because I shoveled my drive way at 630 this morning. No
need to go to the gym today. When Mike came by to drop off Coco I asked him if
he could take Buster and me down to State and 48th because the roads
were so bad and it was snowing heavily. He said no problem but it took us 45 minutes because of the slow
traffic and slick roads. I am so glad he took me because driving and dealing
with Buster wanting to be in my lap would have been treacherous. When I dropped
him off at the Spay and Neuter Clinic they said I could pick Buster up after 4 pm. Back home I finished
shoveling the driveway again plus 100 feet of sidewalk and the back step so the
pups would go outside... now my floors are slick and wet... The clinic called
about 3 pm and said Buster could be picked up and since Mike got off early he
took me down to pick up Buster who is a little groggy and take Coco home.
Buster only had one extraction but
already had a lot of teeth missing. While there I made an appointment for Lulu
Belle to have her teeth cleaned on March 14th .
Hopefully, there won’t be a snow storm that day. I made Mike a kettle of
Chili Verde for taking me back and forth on this wintry day... People are
driving crazier than usual...
·
Richard
P. Butler I got home after spending an hour going one mile on I-80. 1300 East
everyone westbound had to exit Freeway was closed westbound. Then I had to
remove 8 inches of snow. The "Beast" did its job.
·
Bill
Poore I just got back from going to two stores, I had to clean snow off my
windows, my feet are frozen, and my neighbors had not shoveled the snow off my
sidewalks yet.....l am not going out again for at least a week, or until when I
look outside I don't see anything white.
20 February 2018 Tuesday
It must have snowed all
night but I'm not shoveling until they
plow my street. In the afternoon I finally did as that I needed to have the
driveway cleared for tonight. It didn’t snow today and spent much of the day
getting the house ready for company. I made a big crock pot full of corn
chowder. Soups are about the only way I can eat my vegetables these days. It
was hard staying up to midnight when I
am so used to going to bed about 10 pm and getting up about 6:30 in the morning
when Coco comes bounding in. I left the house about 11:15 not knowing what the
weather conditions would be but the roads were fine just extremely cold. Jimmy
was taking a “red eye” flight from Boston. I waited in the Park and Sit lot
because his flight was supposed to have come in at 11:48… but it was nearly 1 a.m. when I was able to
retrieve him. “The
Republican-dominated Legislature’s most outspoken Democratic foil, Sen. Jim
Dabakis, announced on Tuesday he won't seek re-election to his Salt Lake City
seat.” I am surprised that Jim lasted this long but good for him. A Florida
woman who ran a Donald J. Trump supporters page that unwittingly promoted a
Russian-coordinated event on Facebook says she doesn’t believe that she was
influenced by Kremlin-linked trolls
·
Craig
Hunter She must have grown up in Alabama.
·
Jon
Michael Disgusting old whore! The only way these people would ever turn against
the tangerine turd is if he suddenly morphed into a black man.
·
Richard P. Butler Doesn't care? Typical trump
lover. Why plow the snow? it'll melt in a few months anyway.
·
Stephanie
Williams He could be running a prostitution ring out of the White House and
they would still support him blindly. Just make sure you don’t slip and fall on
the ice
·
Bill
Poore It is like my Mexican neighbor still has his Christmas decorations up, I
asked when was he going to take them down? He said it is almost August and he
would just have to put them up again.
·
21 February 2018 Wednesday
So I didn't get to bed until 2 last night after
trying to get the hounds settled with someone new in the house. Jimmy isn’t
really an animal person. Then I was up at 7 with Coco over to see the
gang...when Jimmy got up around 10 a.m. all the hounds wanted to see who was in
the house... I fixed him some breakfast and then went to the gym to do my
workout and when I got home the Bariatric Clinic called and said I needed blood
drawn for some blood work for tomorrow appointment. So back down to the Redwood
Clinic before finally staying in. It’s
been cold but no snow so far. I fed Jimmy some corn chowder in the afternoon
and I took a well-deserved nap... The pups and I are not used to someone being
in our space. For supper fixed Jimmy an
oven roasted chicken, yellow rice, and steamed broccoli. Jimmy is a good guy
but I am really do this for John Reeves because he would have wanted me to.
Jimmy is very self-absorbed talking about his life, his friends, and his
interests none of which I know nor care to know really. One of the first things
he asked of me when we were visiting was whether he had changed or did he look
older and that people say he looks like he’s in his 40’s. Never once did he
comment on how much weight I lost or how my surgery went or how I felt. Oh well
that’s Jimmy.
·
Stephanie
Williams Burrrrrr that’s pretty cold. Got down to 29 here last night. Another
cold one tonight too.
22 February 2018 Thursday
I had my 9-month bariatric follow up today this
afternoon after dropping Jimmy off so he and Chuck can go out to lunch...so I got
up to the U of U hospital too early so I sat and had a Starbucks coffee and
people watched. I was thanking Providence for my health after seeing so many
with serious health problems. They were way behind at the clinic so didn't get
out until 330 when my appointment was at 1...They said my blood work showed I am low on iron and vitamin but all else is
good... I was down 60 pounds... and don't need to be seen again until my 1-year
anniversary on May 22nd. But I guess they want me to have more blood
drawn as they didn’t do an iron sample. Poor Jimmy is fending for himself
tonight as I don't keep much in the house. I did fix him breakfast and he had a
nice lunch at Su Casa I guess. He said that Chuck takes a lot of energy out of
him and I thought guess who’s calling the kettle black but kept my mouth
shut. John’s grandson Chris Reeves had taken Jimmy back to my place. I fixed
left over roasted chicken, yellow rice, and broccoli from yesterday. That will
have to do... oh there's corn chowder too... As me I went to bed early...
because going to the clinic takes a lot out of you and being chief cook and
bottle washer and maid for Company takes its toll too. Mitt Romney announced
he’s running for Orrin Hatch’s Senate seat. When he kissed trumps ass when he
thought he was getting a cabinet position tells you all you need to know about
Massachusetts governor. First National Bank dumped the NRA "Customer feedback has caused us to review our
relationship with the NRA. As a result, First National Bank of Omaha will not renew
its contract with the National Rifle Association to issue the NRA Visa
Card."
·
James
Connelley Bain capital stole my uncle's retirement when they invaded ampad
paper. Another crook idolized by the church.
·
Doug
Murri Romney has no backbone. He's still as much of a flip-flopper as he's
always been.
23 February 2018 Friday
I woke up to a snowing and blowing and “chilly
willy” day. Jimmy was disappointed as I think he had planned on meeting old
friends of his for lunch but no one is going out in this weather except me
because Jimmy wanted to get some party supplies for his get together. So it took
me an hour to shovel the driveway, the sidewalks, and the back steps so the
pups can go outside without being lost in the snow. The snow is coming down
still like a fine mist blowing in a chilly breeze. I think we got a good 5
inches here...I thought we were only supposed to get a light snow... oh well we
need the snow pack...I had to shovel again because so much snow fell since I
did it at 10 am at least 2 and half inches. Everything was covered again. It
has not stopped all day but it’s been a fine snow almost a mist. I would have
waited it out but Jimmy needed to get some supplies for John's memorial
tomorrow... I cannot complain since we have had such a mild winter and Spring
is less than a month away. Yes I can complain and I will. I made some banana
bread to take to the Pot Luck Memorial.
·
Richard
P. Butler 4 inches so far. Lake effect.
·
Andrea
Lindseth Boone Gsc Still snowing and blowing here in Kearns! I'm not going
anywhere!
·
Amy
Barry I've shoveled twice as well. Glad I got out there when I got home around
1pm. It made a difference the 2nd time as it was lighter. I think if we had
waited to do it once it would be a much heavier snow.
24 February 2018 Saturday
Busy day and tiring one... I have been up at 6
am with the pups and when Jimmy got up I fixed him some breakfast and then he
said he needed for me to run him to the store again for some items for John
Reeves' Memorial. The roads were sloppy but not too bad and we went to the
Smith’s in Sugar House before taking him over to Highland to drop him off at
his friend's apartment who was hosting the gathering. Then I went and got Chuck
and drove him over to Sugar House. I brought a loaf of banana bread. Chuck and
I got there about 2 when some other folks showed up around 3ish. I was trying
to be pleasant and make small talk but the only people I knew there were Chuck
and Chris Reeves and he’s not very personable. It was a small but nice
gathering of John's family and Jimmy's KRCL friends from back in the day. I
hadn't slept well last night so by 3:30 I told Chuck it was time to leave. When
I got home the pups were wanting to be fed so that's what I did. Jimmy didn’t
get home until after 9:30. I guess John Crapeau, who must have come after we left,
brought Jimmy home. It’s a cold day today but at least it didn't snow. Well
John’s Memorial in Salt Lake City is done. I really never cared for John’s
family and the way they treated him and me back in the late 80’s. I got an
email from Doug Webb a person I knew from Affirmation Days wanting me to call
him. I wonder what that is all about. Let this sink in: The children who
survived last week's mass shooting are now getting death threats from NRA
supporters.
·
Craig
Hunter That Republican mafia group called the NRA is horrifying.
·
Bill
Poore I believe in the 2nd Amendment however feel the NRA is a terrorist
organization run by that moron. Just compare the number of people killed in U.S
by guns each year to that of any of our allies
25 February 2018 Sunday
I thought about asking Jimmy if he wanted to go
with Mike and I out to Daybreak but decided against it. I felt guilty but I
needed a break from him. This morning he was blaring this German techno runaway
music that was on my last nerve. But I made some brownies last night after I
got home from Jimmy’s soiree and brought them with me. I Had a nice Japanese
Sunday dinner hosted by TJ Otaka and Jim McMullin and I went with Mike and Coco. Alan Anderson and
Kyle Daniels came too and we had a nice long visit. What I ate that TJ made was delicious...but I shouldn't have had the
brownies I had brought...that was the tipping scales of too much. On the way
home I started to have a dumping syndrome and barely made it home. I was sicker
than a dog wanting to puke but it subsided. Jimmy Hamamoto I guess was down
stairs sleeping taking a nap when I was so sick. When He got up I fixed him
some dinner and then went to bed to watch the finale of Celebrity Big Brother.
I was happy who won but I bet other people won’t be. Ross Mathews came in 2nd
but also won America’s Favorite Player. It was a fun afternoon however and I
said I would get tickets for us all to go see Spamalot in May. I guess the
Winter Olympics had been going on in South Korea but didn’t pay any attention
to it. Spamalot,
Saturday, May 19, 2018 02:00 PM, Grand Theatre: Main Stage: B A-109 (Section B,
Senior Discount (60+), $17.00) Spamalot, Saturday, May 19, 2018 02:00 PM, Grand
Theatre: Main Stage: B A-110 (Section B, Senior Discount (60+), $17.00)
Spamalot, Saturday, May 19, 2018 02:00 PM, Grand Theatre: Main Stage: B A-111
(Section B, Senior Discount (60+), $17.00) Spamalot, Saturday, May 19, 2018
02:00 PM, Grand Theatre: Main Stage: B A-112 (Section B, Senior Discount (60+),
$17.00) Spamalot, Saturday, May 19, 2018 02:00 PM, Grand Theatre: Main Stage: B
A-113 (Section B, Senior Discount (60+), $17.00) Spamalot, Saturday, May 19,
2018 02:00 PM, Grand Theatre: Main Stage: B A-114 (Section B, Regular / Adult
Admission, $20.00
26 February 2018 Monday
It was a busy day today. I took Lulubelle to
the vet for a check up on her ear infection this morning. That was another $78
because her infection had completely cleared and they gave me drops to put it..
Then I took Jimmy to the downtown Library where he met up with old KRCL for
lunch. I went on line and bought six tickets on the front row for Saturday the
19th of May to see Spamalot. I picked up Jimmy about 4 pm from the
Trax Station and he said Chris Reeves wanted to take him to the airport at 10
pm so I won’t have too because I went to see Silent Heroes in the early evening.
Jim McMullin had gone on line a while back and RSVPed 3 tickets for the event at
the theater in the Utah Museum of Fine Art. Quiet Heroes is about Dr Kristen
Ries and Maggie Snyder and all they did during the AIDS crisis in Utah...I
heard it started at 6 so I was a little early and found out that the reception
before the screening was at 6 but the movie wasn’t until 7. I met TJ, Jim, Alan Anderson, and Kyle Daniels there and also saw Kevin Scott and his partner.
Chad Anderson was there also.. There was refreshments which was nice before the
showing. There was a mix up abut Kyle’s admission and he was put on a waiting
list but I said that if he couldn’t get in to take my ticket because I would
have rather a younger person see as I had lived it but he got in without any issue.
At one point while watching the film I got very melancholy seeing pictures of
David Sharpton and so many other people I knew lost to the disease that were friends of
mind...I was surprised that a brochure I made on AIDS was in the film... they
must have gotten it from the archives... The event wasn’t over until 9 and when I came
home Jimmy was gone... he had made arrangements for Chris to take him to the
airport... So it's me and the pooches again... alone again naturally. I told
Alan and Jim when they asked how much they owed me for the Spamalot tickets I
just said it was my treat.
27 February 2018 Tuesday
This last of the month I wanted to stay in bed
all day and cuddle with my canines but stripped the bed downstairs and did some
clean up but not a whole lot of anything else. Grandma Johnson always called it
when company left “a glad lonesome.” When Jimmy left I was glad and hardly
lonesome. He took a lot of energy out of me without giving any back to me. Not
that I would have but it would have been nice if he would have asked me to
lunch or dinner or said he appreciated me opening my home to him. Oh well. Aunt
Beulah said people have their ways but some people weigh more than others. I
brought over to Michael’s left-over Beef and Noodle soup I had made for Jimmy
yesterday. I went back down to Redwood to have more blood drawn. They seemed to
have taken a lot for one test.
28 February 2018 Wednesday
I
am still resting up from last week. Typing up Gay histories and Genealogical
histories. The snow is slowly melting. I wasn't sure if the pound puppies would
eat my leftover beef and noodle soup that had carrots, peas, green beans, and
red bell peppers but it appears to have been a hit judging by the empty bowls. Even
though Wal-Mart raised the age to purchase a gun I don't see me shopping there.
A lot of companies are ending Discounts for NRA members. Good.
MARCH
1 March 2018 Thursday
Well
it's March already and soon will be Spring... I am ready to see some green
again and flowers... I have a checkup appointment this morning with my doctor I
had for 20 years at least. He was a puppy when I first met him... now he's
getting some gray in his hair... Back from a doctor appointment. He was happy
with my results. Even with all the crap I have been eating my A1c is down to
6.4 from 7. 1 four months ago and from 10.1 a year ago. I am down to 190 lbs.
from 254 a year ago. So he said I am the healthiest I have been since he
started seeing me more than 20 years ago. Even with me cheating. I got a call
from Doug Webb who I hadn’t seen in years but in the middle my phone battery
went dead. You know a land line never quit working just because the battery
went dead ugh!!!
2 March 2018 Friday
TJ must be cold this gusty day
ahead of a storm front. He got under the covers in the doggy bed. I got a message from
Jim Dabakis this morning asking if I wanted to go see a play with him tonight
and I said sure. Bill Poore came over for lunch...I made biscuits and beef
stew...sent him home with stew, a biscuit, split pea soup, and banana bread...
the pups are always glad to see him because he brings them treats...This
evening went to the Salt Lake Acting Company to see HIR with Jim
Dabakis....it's a comedy by Taylor Mac...that's all I know. We left the play at
the intermission... So grateful Jim was tired... It was hard watching a
disabled senior being abused as a comedy...
3 March 2018 Saturday
The pups got me up way to early this morning
around 5 am so I had some coffee and a bran muffin before working on the
Danforth-Auger history. Wanted to go see Kyle this morning so I left the house
about 8:45 to get down to Draper by 9:30 am. It’s supposed to snow later but it
was just breezy and cold down there. They missed a call for Kyle so I was kept
waiting nearly 15 minutes after our visiting tome began. We just got caught up
on what I had been up too and what he’s been doing which wasn’t much although
he said a week ago he did get to snow plow during that storm. I was back home
by 11:30 and fixed a cheeseburger for lunch. Going out to the Theater again ...
this time with Alan Anderson to the Eccles Theatre to see the Sound of Music...
I prefer musicals to pithy contemporary drama like HIR .... I didn’t get home from
the theater until after 11:30. It was 3hours long...I enjoyed the Sound of
Music much more as a staged musical than the film...although heard the music a
hundred times it seemed fresher as theatre. The mother superior was tremendous
and all the children actors were cast so well...at the end I felt guilty
applauding the guys in Nazi uniforms ...
·
Bill
Poore He was probably cute, all the Nazi guys in that part are cute.
·
Alan
Anderson Very enjoyable. Thanks for going, Ben. Hit snow about Valley Fair Mall
to I15. My driveway was dry at home. Weird
·
Kevin
Scott Mr. Showtune queen here does not hate on musicals... except that one! The
movie had three things that people fell in love with: Julie Andrews, the Alps,
and those children. Every stage version you've ever seen has none of those. We
traded our season tickets for that show for Jersey Boys, which I've already
seen twice. Life is too short to sit through that show yet again. :-)
·
Alan
Anderson People have different tastes. I enjoyed Maria last night, the kids
were very good, considering they were live, and any movie can have the Alps as
the backdrop. Last night's Mother Superior was 100 times better than the movie.
And I would have problems seeing Jersey Boys again, even if the tickets were
given to me. Like I said, we all have different tastes.
·
For
perspective, I'm not a total hater... I perform pretty much every song in that
score many times a year. It's pretty much a staple of Polka Doodle Doo. I even
get audience members up to play "Do Re Me" and "Edelweiss"
on my Austrian Cow Bells, and I have a ton of stories about the show that I
recount to audiences. My wife performed in a production of it in Oregon and one
of the original Von Trapp children (then in her 80s) came to speak (and
debunk). And as much of a theater lover as I am, I don't like to sit through
shows I've already seen unless there's been many years between viewings. But I
do listen to them pretty much daily. There was one really good number cut from
the SoM movie: "No Way to Stop It", which was pretty well named as
orchestras tend to snowball through it.
·
Richard
Harmston This is Utah's favorite musical. Hard to understand.
·
Kevin
Scott I thought that distinction went to "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Yawn". Oh wait, a technicolor yawn is what the Aussies call
puking. ;-)
·
Benedgar
Williams Utah loves it's musicals with a God theme like Le Miz... I didn't like
the movie but enjoyed seeing it as a stage version... there were some very
young children sitting in John Williams seats in front of us and they were
thrilled by the music and during the intermission were singing along to climb
every mountain... it was sweet
4 March 2018 Sunday
Mother Nature’s way of saying stay in bed all
day... yesterday it was 50 degrees and all the old snow had melted away...
nothing like wet dogs wanting to snuggle
We are up to 7 inches of snow on my deck
railing and it's still coming down... hot chocolate and oatmeal for breakfast
on this wintry day...the pups got ham and cheese... now everyone is back to
sleep... this is the heaviest storm we had by the airport this winter... but I
got split pea soup, beef stew, and bean soup in the refrig... makings for
biscuits or corn bread so all is good... feel sorry for my squirrels and
magpies though...
The storm is over and the sun is out and snow
is melting fast. Had to shovel a path for TJ because snow was deeper than he
is... some pictures from March's lion storm ... I hope the month goes out like
a lamb. Tonight was the Oscars but did not care a thing about any of the movies
so didn’t watch. “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories.
If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved
better.” ― Anne Lamott
5 March 2018 Monday
Had to take Lulubelle back to the vet to have
her ears checked...her left ear drum is blocked so I have drops that are supposed
to break the blockage up... They want to see her again in two weeks. It cost 40
dollars today. I made an appointment for Coco to be groomed tomorrow. I’ve been
working all day writing up my talk for Wednesday's lecture on 1983 and 1984...
6 March 2018 Tuesday
Took
Coco in for a new do so I thought I better get one too so I am not as fuzzy as
I was. I like this barber down the street but everything was cut so short. Finished
up my talk ion 1983-1984 and binged watched Hitler’s Inner Circle of Evil which
was pretty good on Netflix.
7 March 2018 Wednesday
I lounged around a lot today until it was time
to get ready for my lecture tonight. Jay Vallar came over with copies he made
for me but when I looked at them later he made a copy of my talk instead of the
chronology. Oh Well. I made some shepherd bread this morning from a no knead
recipe that turned out pretty good and I made some onion soup to go with it. I
also made two dozen chocolate chip cookies for the group tonight. It was a
pretty good turn out with Cole Gilmore, Terry Gilman, Chad Anderson, Courtney
Moser, T J Otaka, Jim McMullin, Stan Rovig, Joel, Charles Bigo, Richard Harmon,
Craig Allen, Chuck Whyte and a couple of
others I can’t recall. We had about 15 people there. Poor Charles Bigo was wearing a mask as he said he’s had
the flu that is going around. I think people who attended really enjoyed the
presentation this time. I talked to Jim and TJ about movie night which I guess
will be next weekend on St. Paddy’s day. We are also going to the play Straight
on the 25th.
8 March 2018 Thursday.
I added my presentation onto my FB Lecture
series page before Richard Butler came over about 10 am and to remind me that I
am babysitting Sophie and Miley the first week in April. I had left a candle in
a glass jar burning in the bathroom like I have for years and I forgot to
neither put it on a coaster nor blow it out. While I was in bed watching
television I hear a pop and an unusual noise so I got up to investigate and the
glass containing the candle was nearly on fire… I quickly doused it and the
glass shattered but not before it left a scorch mark on the counter top. I hate
to think what would have happened if I had fallen asleep. Lesson learned I
suppose.
9 March 2018 Friday
Got my Lambda Lore column for the Q finished. The
pups all had their morning breakfast and as I was bored I made a raisin walnut
and cinnamon rolls just because I wanted to bake something new.. so simple... 3 cups of
bread flour, 1/2 cup sugar [or honey] 1 1/2 tsp table salt, a packet of yeast, cup,
and half of tepid water. Mix together with the stick end of a wooden spoon
until forms a ball, cover and let it sit overnight. In the morning mix in 1/2
chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, tablespoon of
cinnamon... pour onto a floured surface and fold over a few times into a ball.
Place back in bowl let rise again for an hour and then dump dough into a Pam
sprayed skillet or Dutch oven that has a lid. Score the top with a knife or
scissors, put on lid, and bake in a 400-degree preheated oven 30 minutes. Then
take lid off and bake about 10 minutes more for how crusty you like it...
Sounds complicated but super easy... time and nature does all the work.
10 March 2018 Saturday
This morning I went down to Draper to see Kyle
because I won’t be able to go next weekend. We had a good visit and he wants me
to buy him some transitional lens glasses for his yard work this spring and
summer. I said I would. In the evening I went to the Leonardo’s Trivia Pursuit
activity last night. Jesse Dolce and Darby Hinton wanted me to come and we were
the only ones from Men Who Move who came. I felt so out of it when most of the
trivia questions were geared to those growing up in the 90s and the aughts...
they had a whole series of questions on Legos!! The only question I knew for
sure was the song Woolly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs... if you want
to feel irrelevant be in a room of 150 mostly Millennials go play Trivia
Pursuit with them.
·
Erick
Myers I know the feeling, Ben. And it's even worse if you haven't been watching
US tv for 17 years. Haven't got a clue about most of the current stars of stage
and screen...
11 March 2018 Sunday
It's later than you think! Today starts
Daylight Savings time and I just lounged around a lot today. If I did anything
beyond doing some laundry and house work I don’t know what.
12 March 2018 Monday
I Baked some rye bread this morning from dough
I let rise over night. It was the first time I ever made rye bread... and it
was good. Brought most of it over to Michaels. This morning I took Chuck Whyte
to the doctors. I thought he had an emergency but it’s just that he didn’t have
money for a taxi. The President and The Porn Star brought to you by GOP
Evangelicals and Mormons
13 March 2018 Tuesday
Lulubelle is getting too damn smart... she'll
go to the leash hanging from the peg and nudges at it to tell me she wants to
go for a walk... so when we come back then Harleigh wants to go for a walk
too... ugh my dogs are making me exercise... Trump fired Steve Goldstein an
assistant to Rex Tillerson who he ousted as Secretary of State. Tillerson
replacement will be CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Tillerson's removal comes just
one day after he condemned Russia for their nerve agent attack in the UK.
14 March 2018 Wednesday
I had to take Lulu Belle down to the Spay and
Neuter Clinic on 48th South and State to have a dental cleaning and checkup. I
had to be there by 7:30... The sunrise over the mountains was a gorgeous red
this last week of winter. Because my driver’s license expires next month I went
and had it renewed this morning... didn't need birth certificate ... social
security card... nor any of the rigmarole I needed last time... The driver’s
license place is at the Fairgrounds near my house so it was quick and easy...
driving by Backman Elementary I saw a bunch of students huddled on the
playground... must be part of the national walk out... Lulu Belle came home
with only 2 teeth pulled. It's been raining pretty good here off and on but better
than the blizzard we had when I took Buster down in February... Sad news a
friend of mine John Cooper died... he was a good guy and did a lot of good in
this old world especially at Affirmation
15 March 2018 Thursday
Rainy days and Thursdays get me down
16 March 2018 Friday
I received a nicely bound hard copy of a book
containing my memoirs from my Sacred Faeries days over 30 years ago...I guess I
can truly say I'm literate. Daniel Cureton published in a Salt Lake Pagan
Journal. Its only from the 1st two years of the Sacred Faeries and
he wants me to send him the last half so when I get down with my Danforth
project I guess I will write up my old journals from back then.
·
Daniel
Cureton-Your diaries are the big piece, an amazing work we get to bring to life
and it's wonderfully impressive in print. It's a primary source of information
of a rare part of history Well of course, as an author you get a copy. I strive
to improve the journal and make it better:) I knew what I'd change. I had a
different designer. this year was able to do hard cover. I had more on the
editing team helping. Thanks for the feedback. Submissions for vol 3 are open
now. We're doing part three, so I need part 4 of the chronicles for next year!
Now the journal is indexed with ebscohost, the library world vendor of data
bases, so the PDF will live forever available in research to students and
academics
17 March 2018 Saturday
It was a Good Old fashion St. Paddy's Day snow
blizzard here in the North Jordan River District this morning with Snow coming
down again after a break...Had a nice dinner with friends who made their way
over in a blizzard for dinner and movie night... There was TJ and Jim, Mike
Romero, Bill Poor, Dennis Lee, and Greg Allen. I made corned beef and cabbage,
carrots and new potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a meat loaf because
Jim doesn’t care for corned Beef... also made homemade bread and an apple
pie... afterwards eating we watched Boys In the Band and I think only Mike,
Dennis, and I had ever seen it before. Saint Patrick's Day is just like gay
pride but for straight white people who are proud to be drunk. According to my
DNA, my remote direct paternal ancestor was Niall of the Nine Hostages. Without
him kidnapping Patricus a Roman Brit and bringing him to Ireland there would be
no St. Patrick Day to drink green beer or eat Corned Beef... So kiss my Blarney
Stone and top O' the morning to you. Facebook is suspending the
trump-affiliated data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, after learning that
it failed to delete data that it had taken inappropriately from users of the
social network. They took information from 50 million FB users to help
influence voters for Trump.
·
Bill
Poore I went to Smiths on 8th and 9th yesterday before coming to your house, I
just sat there watching all the young white people walking out with beer,
everyone had beer. It is clear St Pats is not a Mormon holiday, or is it?
18 March 2018 Sunday
Didn’t do much but clean up from the party,
type up information on Grandpa Samuel Danforth of Bennington, Vermont and
relax.
19 March 2018 Monday
Beautiful
last day of winter... I had a busy morning. I went to my credit union in
Bountiful to get a pension application from METLIFE notarized as well as my Last
Will and Testament, finally. I drew it up last year before going into surgery.
Then I went to America Best glasses there in Bountiful and ordered a pair of
transition glasses for Kyle. It was a little over $300. I guess I better file
my taxes and see if I get anything back since I also have to pay $250 for car
insurance. A TV production company, Beyond Productions, based in Sydney,
Australia wants to contact me because I "specialize in Gay Utah
history" about a crime I had written about... so I've gone international
or at least down under.
20 March 2018 Tuesday
Happy Vernal Equinox and Blessed
Eostra or Easter this first day of Spring. After today there will be more light
than darkness. Rich Butler came over
this morning to visit and fix a stopper in the downstairs toilet cistern tank.
He also brought me a hoe for my garden. He’s still bummed about his cat being
crushed when the garage door came down on him. He’s bringing Miley and Sophie
over on March 31 when they go to New Mexico for a week.
21 March 2018 Wednesday
Bill Poore took me to lunch at Charlie Chows...
Had a bowl of soup... I can tell he and I worked in different parts of the food
industry as I was a cook and he was a waiter... we had horrible service and he
still was too generous tipping... I thought tips meant To insure Prompt service
which we didn't get... He paid me $100 for the money I loaned him last year. I
think he owes me $1400 still. Afterwards I went to Lowes and bought some
pansies and grass fertilizer as we are supposed to get rain again... the garden
sections of the stores are still pretty bare... Rich Butler brought me a new
hoe yesterday so I am ready to grub in the soil. I potted the pansies and I
will get more this weekend maybe. At Lucky’s they had strawberries for 88 Cents
so I bought two and gave one to Mike when I took Coco home. I’ve been watching
a BBC series called Midsommer’s Murders. I enjoy a good murder mystery and this
series is worth watching. I may be going to Albuquerque NM on April 20th for
the day to be interviewed for a story this Australian Film company is doing on
a murder that happened in SLC in 1963. It’s the Jean Sinclair case. I said I'd
only go if I can be back the same day to feed my dogs, so they are going to fly
me in and out... Well at least that's the plan. The Austin Texas bomber blew
himself up so another angry white conservative is dead.
22 March 2018 Thursday
Cool and breezy out like a front is moving in. I
worked on Thomas Bassell Danforth this morning trying to get it ready to go on
line before I went down to the Riverside Day Library to make copies of my Last
Will and Testament to give to Mike Romero and a copy of my birth certificate to
send off to METLIFE to get my whopping $21 a month from my TICOR pension LOL.
Mailed it off today.
23 March 2018 Friday
International Puppy Day today. I fixed them
some corned beef that I found frozen in the freezer dated from 2016 LOL. They
loved it and didn’t mind that it was dated. Haven’t been doing much lately
except spending inordinate amount of time on the computer on my Danforth
Genealogy blog. Really haven’t done much else except binge watch Midsommer
Murders on Netflix.
24 March 2018 Saturday
I went with Charles Bigo and Richard Harmston
to John Coopers graveside service in Logan... it was foggy going through
Sardine Canyon... the service was provided by a veteran group from Hyrum with a
flag folding ceremony, three rounds of gun salute, and the playing of taps... I
had never attended a military service before... very solemn and impressive...
all the veterans had to have been in their 70s. It was cold up there with it
trying to snow. The flag was given to Wil Mejia and not his blood family, which
surprised me. I guess towards the end they were more than just roommates as
that John paid off Wil’s mortgage on his little house.. I was glad I went to
show a final respect for John. As the rifles Were being fired I thought how
ironic to hear gun shots on this of all days being the March For Our Lives
against gun proliferation. We ate up in
Logan at this Noodle place. A bowl of chicken noodle soup felt good on such a
cool day.
·
Richard
P. Butler Shots fired for a GOOD reason. Sorry for your loss.
Manage
·
Bill
Poore Military graveside services are nice, my father had one. I remember
walking into seeing him in his coffin the first time seeing the flag over his
coffin really hit me. It brought it home, he was 100 percent disabled American
Vet. Cooper must have served in a special way to get that service. I also think
it was very touching that they gave the flag to Wil, that probably would have
made me cry.
·
Roland
Ron Holmgren If he was in any branch of the military, he was eligible for a
military service.
·
Benedgar
Williams He was a lieutenant
·
Beau
Chaine' I was flown by the family of a 99-year-old Air Force General I had
cared for 16 months, to Arlington Cemetery ...It was like something out of the
movie, AMERICAN ASSASSIN...The caisson was a horse-drawn carriage with the
coffin, followed by a foot band in 17-degree weather...a bagpiper in a purple
kilt played pipes from top of the hill...military funerals are a true proper
send-off and extremely humbling...Glad to see John got one. He helped so much
with the first computer for aardvarks way back at Gingerbread House cafe' the
predecessor to aardvarks....thanks, John, I salute you...
·
Terrie
Williams Very touching. I too have witnessed a full military funeral. It is humbling
and honoring and tearful. When my dad was buried, at graveside service they had
a flag on his coffin and played taps. Those that give this service are
dedicated And my hats are off to them. The folding of the flag is a ceremony in
itself. A final send off. Glad you were able to attend and have your own
goodbye.
·
Stephen
Bolinder Had a military funeral for my grandfather. Felt like daggers in my
heart with each gun shot. We also had bag pipes. Such an awesome sight, the
military funeral.
·
Douglas
Webb Wow, sounds respectful
25 March 2018 Sunday
Had a nice afternoon watching the
play “Straight” at the Sorensen Center in Glendale. I went with Mike Romero, and
met Alan Anderson, TJ Otaka, and Jim McMullin there. Kyle Daniels was in St.
George... the theater was a packed house but I have ambivalent feelings about
the play but then I am an old Gay Libber. The “bisexual” leaves his Gay lover
to marry a woman. We all then went out to Chubby’s a Mexican restaurant by my
house for dinner. It was fun visiting and I had a chili Verde smothered
enchilada. Jon Michaels was there having dinner too so it was nice to see him.
Jim and TJ followed me back to the house because I wanted to give them the ham
that Bill Poore gave me for Christmas for next week’s Easter dinner. I said I’d
make my carrot cake everyone seems to like so well. I also gave them my air
fryer as I decided I didn’t see the advantage of it. it's been snowing all
afternoon and kind of a blizzard but roads are good. It’s a hot coco with
marshmallow evening
·
Douglas
Webb That’s what I’m drinkin’
·
Kevin
Scott Surely you remembered the peppermint schnapps, right? And for extra fun
some creme de cacao topped with whipped cream?
26 March 2018 Monday
All that anyone is talking about is the 60
Minutes interview of Trump and his prostitute. What a sad day in America. I
went to the Dog Park to make appointments to have Buddy and Harleigh groomed.
Buddy will go in on Wednesday and Harleigh on Friday. I made some banana bread
27 March 2018 Tuesday
I got a phone call that Kyle’s glasses were in
and I guess they will mail them out so he should get them this week
28 March 2018 Wednesday
I took Buddy in to the groomers today. He
needed a good haircut. It cost $60 after leaving a tip. Chevy used to only
charge $40. I guess I am paying for convenience. He is getting so thin. I am
kind of worried about it but he eats well but mostly sleeps. Both Lulu Belle
and Harleigh insisted on walks and it was chilly this morning. Dampness in the
air I suppose. I bought another spiral cut ham at Lucky’s Market today for $6.
I couldn’t pass up the deal. Worked on the Thomas Bassell Danforth history
today especially on uncle Elihu Luce of Dickens County. Then settled in to
watch some more of Midsommer Murders.
29 March 2018 Thursday
Another day of sitting at the computer doing
research on the family of Thomas Bassell Danforth. Keeps the old noggin lucid I
suppose. Jim
McMullin left me a message. He just found out that I gave him a turkey instead
of ham, lol... I let them know that I have a spiral cut ham... and will drop it off Saturday as I am going out to the
prison in the morning.... I bought it at Lucky’s the other day because it was
on sale and such a deal, I guess I should look in the grocery sacks I throw in
the freezer. I guess I should have looked but Bill Poore said he had given me a
ham at Christmas and I never took it out of the grocery sack to look.
30 March 2018 Friday
I think this is the earliest I ever had to mow
my lawns. The front and especially the back needed mowing. I moved some paving
stepping stones to my front gate and placed them securely so no pup would ever
be able to dig under the gate like TJ use to do a few years ago. Cleaning out
flower beds too. Feels good to be grubbing again after a long if mild winter. I
took Harleigh in to get his hair cut today. Another $60. But he’s worth it.
31 March 2018 Saturday
So this is the last of March already. It’s my
Grandma Williams birthday too. The weather is pretty. March came in like a lion
and did go out like a lamb. Making a carrot cake for Easter tomorrow... Then I
went down to see Kyle Foote in the state pen. He said he just got his new
transitional lens glasses last night in the post so he was wearing them and was
super proud of them. ... they look sharp on him... he sat back-to-back with
Craig Crawford who had two gay guys visiting him... just Gays and some women
visiting today... It kind of weirded me out when I left Craig and he said “goodbye
Ben”...I've never met him so Kyle must have told him about me... never had a
murderer say hi to me before that I know of... I then dropped a ham off to TJ
and Jim to replace the Turkey Breast that I had given them. Rich Butler then dropped
Sophie and Miley off for the week. Surprising Darren Solomon dropped by at the
same time. He isn’t in the best of health and looked pretty shot. With Coco I
will have nine pups next week.
·
Bill
Poore-I love this, so your future roomie is sitting around with convicted
killers exchanging stories on how to get over on old gay men.....Maybe you can
start visiting Craig as well. I am laughing as I type this but Ben you have to
remember what Kyle has will not go away..
I have worked in this area for years; I have known many Kyles and know
how easy it is to fall in love with them. I love you and just want you to
remain realistic with who you are
dealing with....I mean really Craig said goodbye. that is scary. I like Richard’s
dogs; they don't bother me. Have fun tomorrow.
·
Benedgar
Williams You gave me a turkey breast LOL... I never took it out of the grocery
sack last Christmas and gave the sack to TJ and Jim when they got home found it
was a Turkey Breast LOL... Never fear we have a spiral cut ham for Easter
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