I need one of these moments...

Fall is falling away...

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Originally uploaded by rjrogo248

I can't believe September is pretty much over. This month flew by so quickly! Fall is my favorite season, the air is crisp, the leaves change, fresh produce is in abundance at the Farmer's Market, apple picking, pumpkins, gosh the list could go on. I'm so lucky to live in Upstate New York, where we have such a beautiful fall season. Granted the weather is a bit shitty this week, but I'm holding out for the perfect fall day. The fall also marks my return to the kitchen. Cooking in the heat of summer is never fun; but add the fresh produce and cool air of autumn and it's a match made in heaven. I plan on studying French cooking this year. We'll see how that works out. But for now I'm planning some apple picking adventures and a fall menu to rival the finest restaurants in town.

My Vegas Top 9:

1. Bellagio Fountains – One of the few things in Vegas that exceeded expectations. Best at night, the fountains are just gorgeous.
2. The Shopping – Vegas is an amazing city to shop in, prepare your credit cards. My two favorite shopping spots were The Grand Canal Shoppes and The Forum Shops.
3. An Evening at La Cage – Does anything beat a good drag show? Those girls know how to work it!
4. Cirque du Soleil "O" – A show with amazing production values and enough talent to last a lifetime.
5. Bill Gambling Saloon – A glimpse of old Vegas, a fun place to hang out and gamble.
6. The Wynn – A gorgeous place to hang out and people watch. Just beautiful.
7. Caesar's Palace – The shopping, dining and shear size of this place is just amazing!
8. The Food – If you want it and want it done right go to Vegas. I didn't have one bite of bad food.
9. Vegas Heat – Ugh such a different heat that the east coast. It warms the bones, which I love!

A case of the Monday's...

When I'm a bit blue, there is one YouTube video that ALWAYS cheers me up. Please enjoy!

What a month…

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. That’s the only word I can find to describe the last month. I find myself amazed at all the events which transpired over the last thirty or so days; the break-up, the drama, death, Cherless (I created a new word) perhaps a bit of loneliness. But the list of the bad does not compare to the good. Bear with me folks; I need to visually digest.
-Restoration; my mind and emotions were quite a mess and it feels great to have sorted most of it out. Some consider loneliness a bad thing, but it really makes you look at yourself; where you are now, where you were and where you want to go.
-Family; could they be anymore amazing. I haven’t always been the best son, brother or grandson, but to my family that doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. That is the true definition of unconditional love and for that I am grateful.
-Friends; could you have been anymore supportive and wonderful? I’m honored by your presence and constant support. True friends a diamond in the rough, lucky for me I have enough to rival Cartier.
-Truth; the truth always comes out. I’m grateful for that. The past month made me realize so much, both about myself and other people. The truth always conquers falsities.
-Renewal; there are some people out there who renewed my outlook on mankind. Thank you, the world doesn’t seem so bad after all.
-The Journey Home; home is a brilliant thing. Nothing beats it.
-Smiles; you only have so many minutes in a day but you can never have enough smiles to fill those minutes. The power of a smile is an amazing thing. Thanks to all those who have filled my life with smiles. In the end they always out number the frowns.

Perhaps a bit on the dramatic, but sometimes I feel the need to share. Peace and Love, it’s the only option.

East Coast Guy

After another trip out west I am reconfirming my love for the east coast. I’m a huge fan of what the Atlantic side of the US has to offer. Perhaps I haven’t been exposed to the right parts of the west, but until I’m blown away, my heart stays in the northeast. I LOVE NEW YORK (and Disney World).

Happy News

My fancy pad will be welcoming a new addition to the already fabulous line-up (of just me). October will be off to a great start to say the least.

The Great Debate

The great debate it was not. Was I the only one not impressed by Friday’s presidential debate? Both candidates do nothing for me; in fact every time I hear them speak I like them less and less. I’m not looking forward to Election Day, either way I think we lose. Pretty bold statement, but that’s the way I feel.

Christmas in September?

I LOVE CHIRSTMAS, but Christmas in September? Give me a break. Let’s not forget that there is a “reason for the season” and it’s not to see who can get there Christmas merchandise up first. Being a former Roman Catholic, the reason of Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus, now I use this season to appreciate all the amazing gifts in my life (and to add pieces to my Dept. 56 Village). I’m starting to admire Judaism for the sole reason that their holiday’s are still rooted in faith NOT commercialization. I’ve always struggled with my faith and I feel the need to rediscover something. But what? I’m not sure. Anyway Merry Christmas 80 some odd days in advance.

A House Built for Divas

Have you heard the rumblings? Celine Dion returning to the Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace! If the rumors prove true, the Coliseum will play host to 3 amazing divas. Cher, Bette and Celine. It’s a gay man’s wet dream. Maybe I’ll have to make a few trips to Vegas next year. Who is in?

Fancy Adventures in Vegas!

I’m currently sitting on Southwest flight 16ANNOYING. Why do stupid people travel? I guess that is a question for another day and another blog. Back to the purpose, a recap of my Vegas getaway. As most of you may know, I traveled to Vegas to see the one and only Cher. Yes the one and only. So what happens when you are a “one and only”? If you get sick, there is no one to replace you. So let me get the most disappointing part of my trip out of the way. Cher cancelled the show I was going to attend. To say the least I was devastated. All this way and she cancels, but she is human, and those of us that are spiritually connected to Cher, know that she wouldn’t leave her fans in the dark unless she absolutely had to. Apparently she cancelled a whole weeks worth of shows, so Cher get well!

With disappointment comes gratitude. I’m blessed to have an amazing set of parents who offered to take me to “sin city”. I have to say, I was very unimpressed by Vegas. To me it was a mix of downtown LA and Times Square (two of my least favorite places in the world). I spent the first day wondering what I got myself into. By the next day I snapped out of it and took Vegas for what it is, a playground for almost anyone. For me it was a playground for the shopaholic. After the sad news regarding Cher, I took my emotions out on my checking account. The shopping in Vegas was amazing and I’m beyond happy with all the wonderful purchases. They will be making their debuts on the runway I call work.

I also fell in love with some of the hotels. The Wynn was gorgeous! The Bellagio was beautiful and I fell in love with the fountains. I also took a liking to the Mirage. We stayed at the Paris, and while it was a decent place to stay, it didn’t have a wow factor.

I also took in two shows, “An Evening at La Cage” (I did get to see Cher “after all”) and Cirque du Soleil “O”. La Cage was great fun! My Mom and I had a blast. “O” was also good, but I was expecting a bit more. It was very stylistic yet lacked substance. In the end I was happy with both show choices, one was “old Vegas” while the other “new” and I have to say that I enjoyed the old. When walking down the strip there were a few older casinos (a bit shady), but they had such character. On my next visit I plan to gamble at the little casinos, they have a spirit which can’t be duplicated at the newer more glitzy casinos.

In the end I find myself planning Vegas 2009. I’m excited! I’ll give Cher another chance.

2 DAYS - Holy Crap

Does anyone want to help me pack?????

Drying Out

Gosh, lay me out to dry. Weddings are just a terrible thing for me. I ALWAYS drink too much, always. I spent Saturday up north to share in the marriage of two amazing people, Alyson and Bogdan. They are such a beautiful couple. Bogdan is Romanian, and his friends are party animals. I don't think I drank that much in my life. It was insane. Needless to say I felt pretty bad the next morning. Let me take a moment to apolgize for the drunk dials. I was out of control, so if I said anything that offended, please forgive me, but whats a wedding without drunk dials. Today is a crazy day at work, not only am I

still tired, I have a lot of work to do since I'm departing on Wednesday for vacation (much needed if I do say so myself).

Free Ticket to Disney World!

Awesome!! Check out the link!

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/orl-disney-free-tickets-birthday-091808,0,3040162.story

Fall TV 2008 - Fringe on Fox

Not going to lie, I'm excited for the Fall Television Season! I felt lost without my shows last year. The season is already off and running, and I LOVE the FOX show Fringe. It is just amazing. You should watch it!!!!

A Streisand Treasure

I'm the lucky owner of the box set "Streisand: For the Record". It is four CDs of unreleased and rare material, one of the most amazing tracks is her rendition "I Know Him So Well" from the musical Chess. I have it on repeat today, so I thought I would post a link to the song via youtube. Please ignore the terrible slide show and just enjoy the song. In fact, close your eyes.

Another reason to love Brad Pitt

Kudos to Brad Pitt for donating money to fight the overturn of the legalization of gay marriage in California. More celebrities and public figures should speak up. Hopefully this is just the beginning. Isn't this country about equality???

"Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8."

-Brad Pitt

Speaking of Martha...

A new show debuted on Fine Living last night, it is called "Whatever Martha", it stars Alexis Stewart and some Jennifer girl. They basically watch old segments of Martha and make caddy and in appropriate comments. Not going to lie...I LOVE IT!!! I'm glad Martha has a good sense of humor about herself to allow this. If you want to feel like a high schooler again, watch "Whatever Martha" every Tuesday night on Fine Living. Plus Alexis is kind of hot!

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook

I was watching Martha Stewart yesterday, I love her. She had Chef Heston Blumenthal on. He is an amazing and innovative chef from across the pond. He had some amazing thought and ideas regarding food, cooking and how the senses effect taste. I was captivated and want to learn more. How can I do that? He has a cookbook coming out. It is titled The Big Fat Duck Cookbook, and it looks amazing. The only downside, it is retailing for $250. Is it worth it? I actually think it will be. I'm going to start saving now. I'll let you know how it is once I get it. Speaking of cooking, the cooler weather makes me gravitate toward the kitchen. I've already made my first batch of butternut squash soup. It was pretty delicious.

Mimosa's at work...

...I'm voting to pass a new policy that Mimosa's every morning should be the norm. They certainly take the edge off. So a toast to the lovely combination of Champagne and OJ.

Streisand Fundraiser

Although I couldn't attend (no one would loan me the money), Streisand was able to raise $9,000,000 for the Obama campaign. That is just amazing! Kudos to BABS, if I were a candidate I would want her on my side. On top of that, Streisand only performed for 20 minutes (kind of happy I didn't go).

ONE WEEK!!!!!!

One week from this moment I will be on an airplane (hopefully having a morning cocktail), heading to sin city! Unbelievable!! This trip was planned about 120 days ago and I've been counting the days ever since. To have it be a week away is a blessing, and it couldn't come at a better time. The stresses of life have been high in every aspect of my life, and it seems things keep happening one after the other. Not to pat myself on the back, but I'm due for a little getaway. I'm not familiar with Vegas, and the more I read about it, the more confused I get. Any advice as to what I should do would be most appreciated. And for all of you that know me, I tend to plan every minute of my vacations, but this time, the only plan I have is Cher. Nothing else. Such a departure and I think I like it.

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

A place, where nobody dared to go...

Per Playbill:

Xanadu, the Tony-nominated musical based on the infamous flop film of the same name, will play its final performance at Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre Oct. 12.

When it closes the musical will have played a total of 49 previews and 528 regular performances.

In a statement lead producer Robert Ahrens said, "It was a joy to work on Xanadu, a project that I truly believed in. The cast, which became a family, was superbly talented as was the entire creative team. It's a rare treat to have such a special experience. All of my partners, including Tara Smith, B. Swibel, Dan Vickery, Cari Smulyan, Dale Smith, and Sara Murchison made their Broadway [producing] debuts with the show and their enthusiasm and belief in the project was unparallel. I thank them all."

I myself am very upset about the news. I truely loved this show and hope to see it one last time!!! If you are in NY before October 12th, check out XANADU!

Link: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121399.html

Lesson for today!

Liars always assume others are lying!

Ike...

...hoping all those affected by Ike see a happy outcome. The storms this year have been brutal. I hope the oceans and coastlines will have a peaceful rest of season.

One more thing...

...I love how you see people's true colors...you sometimes are blinded by the brightness, but when that brightness fades, the not so vibrant colors show. I'm a pretty smart guy and I'm happy I know the truth...confused? Maybe one day I'll fill you in. Just another day in the life of a single gay man! On a happier note, I'm glad I rediscovered Grey Gardens...and the wii fit. Fun times...fun times...can't wait for the sequel! In other news I think I'm going to plan a Grey Garden's Costume for Today Party....

"But you see in dealing with me, the relatives didn't know that they were dealing with a staunch character and I tell you if there's anything worse than dealing with a staunch woman... S-T-A-U-N-C-H. There's nothing worse, I'm telling you. They don't weaken, no matter what."
-Little Edie

Zero Weddings and a Funeral

Ugh, what a blucky day, gosh I haven’t used that word in a long while. For those unfamiliar, blucky is a combination of the words blah and yucky. Pretty original huh? Funerals are never fun. No matter whom they are for, the potential for fun is never there. But it’s a funeral so why should it be fun. As noted to those around me, I will NOT be giving a funeral or any other such nonsense, when I depart this earth I want the people I love and care about to enjoy the day. But that is a whole other story.

So back to today’s events. I of course was late. It’s hard to get out of bed on a rainy Saturday morning. I met with my parents and headed to Amsterdam. That God forsaken city makes me want to vomit. I know, I’m being harsh, but I’m blucky. Amsterdam, NY has nothing to offer. Not one single thing. Just driving in there made me depressed. Yes we should all be proud of our hometowns. I disagree; my hometown sucks.

So what is worse than being in Amsterdam? Being in Amsterdam for a funeral. I haven’t been to one in a long while, so I was completely out of practice. The first thing I notice is that the funeral parlor looked like a Vegas wedding chapel, tacky chandeliers, awful rugs, tattered seats and “sun-burnt” curtains. It was just depressing. Add an urn of ashes to the mix and the impromptu wedding turns into a funeral. I must sound like such a bitch; I have to remember that I’m honoring the life of my grandfather. One whom I didn’t know all that well, but all the same he is family so may he rest in peace.

Pan back to the funeral, the music situation was a nightmare. Don’t even get me started. Needless to say my services were not needed, that was being covered by Yanni on the church organ (a CD from QVC I’m sure). I was wearing a suit that made me look like Harpo Marx and on top of that, I’m sweating my ass. I blame my sister for saying her internal body temperature was perfect.

On the other hand, it was great to see my family. Instead of being emotional about the whole situation, I’m acting like Mr. Touch Guy…er…Mr. Bitchy Gay. This certainly makes me look at how fortunate I am. I have an amazing, caring family and having all of us come together was a great thing (too bad it was under such bad circumstances). But as I like to think…good things come from the bad. I’m tired and still blucky, so I’m going to wrap this sucker up. The rest of my weekend will be spent being a somewhat decent grandson. I will return on Tuesday.

RIP Grandpa Joe.

Just a quick thought...

It takes just as much energy to smile as it does to make an angry face!

Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL)

Believe it or not, Autumn is here. According to the calendar we still have a few days left of summer, but up here in the Northeast, fall is here and in full swing. The weather has turned chilly, the leaves are beginning to fall and Starbucks is once again serving Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

I was never a fan, they were too sweet and they had a terrible after taste. After some advice from a fellow Starbucks aficionado, he inspired me to create my own PSL recipe using my new Tassimo machine (more on that next week). So, if you have a Tassimo listen up and enjoy this less sweet/non after taste PSL.

Step 1 - Add nutmeg and cinnamon to the bottom of your mug (I reccomend 1/2 teaspoon each).

Step 2 - Add a 1/2 tablespoon of Torani's White Chocolate Mocha Sauce (for a more sweet drink, add a shot of Torani's Vanilla Syrup).

Step 3 - Place the mug in your Tassimo Hot Beverage Machine.

Step 4 - Prepare a Milk/Cappuccino T-Disc.

Step 5 - Follow that with a Tassimo Espresso T-Disc.

Step 6 - Stir and enjoy!

It's PSL time all this fall at my apartment and coming soon to my desk at work.

Enjoy!

MySpace vs. Facebook

I don't mind having an account on both MySpace and Facebook, but lately I've found MySpace to be terribly sucky. Is Facebook the new place to be??? I think so...I feel like cancelling out MySpace...we shall see what happens. Moving my blog was step 1.

Never Forget

Speaking of loss (seems to be the ongoing theme this morning). Never Forget. Can't believe it's been 7 years.

God Bless America and the world we live in!

Loss...RIP Grandpa "Joe"

Loss. No matter who you lose in life, it's never an easy thing. One would assume that losing those closest is the hardest, and while I don't disagree I might be able to challenge that assumption. Yesterday I lost my Grandfather; I think I called him Grandpa Joe when I was a child. I wasn't very close to him; in fact I've probably seen him a total of 30 minutes over the past 18 years. So one would assume his death wouldn't affect me all that much. In all actuality I find this whole situation to be very difficult. Perhaps it's because I don't know how to feel. But after 24 hours of thinking I regret not knowing him. The gift of Grandparents is an amazing thing and up until yesterday all 4 of them were living their lives.

As I sift through the "coulda woulda shoulda" crap I send my prayers to Grandpa Joe, Mom and Grandma. Conclusion thus far: loss is never easy.

Irony and Honors

Huge Streisand fan, she is an amazing human being. News broke yesterday that she would be honored by the Kennedy Center. We all knew she would be honored one day, but isn't the timing a bit ironic. Streisand is a huge liberal and she has expressed her distaste for Bush for years. I just find the timing a bit off. Bush's last party in the White House will be attended by Barbra Streisand (makes me giggle). I'm sure she'll get him a farewell gift. Perhaps she'll take that GW impersonator as her date, now that would be a hoot. But they are both adults...well at least one of them is...so I'm sure it will work out fine. I just wish I could be there to see the whole thing. Will they take photos together? Will they hug? Oh to be a fly on the wall.

In other streisand news, she is going to be singing for Obama...does anyone have a couple thousand dollars I can borrow?

Vegas

Let it be known, this fancy mess known as me will be on a plane to Vegas two weeks from this moment. Words can not express my excitement! Vegas equates to CHER, sunshine, pools, drinks, food, shopping, Cirque du Soleil, galleries and clubs. What more could a gay man ask for? This will be my first time in the city of sin, so if anyone has any reccomendations as to what I should, feel free to comment.

Out with the old and in with the new...

Welcome to the new blog. I'm contemplating a departure from MySpace so with that brings the conclusion of "Rich's World of Thought". It's time for a change. Speaking of change, we have two polar opposites promising change for America. On one side we have Obama and on the other McCain. Prior readers will note my love for Hillary, I'm still bitter but I'm getting over it.

It's been tough for me to put my support behind Obama. I just couldn't do it. But with Election Day right around the corner I need to make some decisions. Can I honestly go to the polls and vote for McCain? Hell no! Can I go to the polls and waste my vote by writing in Hillary Clinton, yes, but that would be impractical. So the only logical choice is to suck it up and vote for Obama. I'm sure he'll grow on me and do a terrific job, so here it is folks…my endorsement for Barrack Obama. I'll write back here a year from now and see if we get the change we were promised (and rightfully deserve).

That is all for now!