Speaking In The Buff

I'm currently in Detroit visiting my folks for the holidays.   I took my typical route to hit the city this time of year. It started with a 4:30 AM wake up call.    I still was packing up to the last minute while getting ready for my 5:30 AM taxi.    My new taxi company, 303 Taxi (replacing the less than stellar American Taxi), was at my house ten minutes early.

It was a rainy morning as I was taxied to my local Metra Station.   My driver was lazy not even getting out of his taxi (guess he didn't want to get wet) to help me with my luggage.   But despite that I gave him an extra buck since he was extra early at my place.

After getting my Metra ticket from an extra humorous attendant, I sat down in the bench and waited for the train that would whisk me to Union Station and my Amtrak train which was scheduled to leave at 7:20 AM.

As I sat waiting I couldn't help but overhear the various conversations going on around me.   The most riveting one was between the attendant himself and another lady who I only knew was a teacher.

The big discussion was on whether teachers should be allowed to have firearms in the classroom.    The debate of course is going on everywhere in light of the Newton, CT school shooting tragedy that happened last Friday.    The teacher was against the measure imagining a trigger happy teacher that may decide to shoot an irate student.   The humorous attendant was leaning the same way.

It's interesting though because whenever tragedies like the one in Newton, CT happens, that debate always seem to come up.    And as usual I can see both sides of the debate.  

There is talk of banning semi-automatic weapons is in full swing.   I would support a ban of these weapons as I don't understand why regular folks would need a semi-automatic weapon.   But unfortunately even banning it won't completely eliminate the problem.   Just like with drugs, if folks want them, they will find ways to get them.   Also coming up with a banning takes time which would give those who want a semi plenty of time to stock up before the ban takes effect.

In the meantime I'm thinking as long as a teacher or whomever in the school administration has proper training on handling a regular gun (with required annual re-certification), there shouldn't be a reason for not having some kind of protection available.    As long as risk is mitigated (unfortunately you can't truly eliminate it) against a student or anyone with nefarious intentions stealing said weapon, I'm thinking that allowing handguns for protection isn't a bad option.   But yeah that's definitely a debate of the ages.

So Hemingway my Metra train arrived and I reached Union Station just in time to hop on the big long line boarding Amtrak.   As usual some folks had to be slick trying to cut the line.    It's a wonder there isn't more fights at the station.  

Thankfully I got my own row once boarded.   Typically I wind up having to share a row as more passengers are picked up along the way.   But thankfully this year I had my own row the entire 7 1/2 hour trip.    It's funny how Amtrak from Chicago to Detroit is always late when it comes to arriving in Detroit.    This year was no exception with a 49 minute late arrival.

My Dad picked me up from the station within twenty minutes.   I'll be remaining in the city till the 28th.  

So in the meantime it's time to me to reveal Truth #1 in my "Two Truths and a Lie" game.

Without further adieu, Truth #1 is:



"I hired a man to clean my house in the nude."

Yes it's true.   I saw an ad almost two years ago from a man advertising his services.   Basically he will clean, repair, or assist in anyway whatever you need done to the house.   And he would do it in the nude.   He showed me pictures of himself of course.  I have to say he keeps himself in pretty good shape.  

Besides the nice views of watching him clean, he offered a rate that was $20 cheaper and an hour longer than my current Merry Maids.   Plus since there is no middle man, he gets the entire amount of cash, so I don't necessarily have to tip extra though I will actually give him a gift card in addition to his rate when he comes over next time.

He's helped me so much in the time I've had him.   In addition to cleaning he's helped me install a replacement toilet (including picking up the new toilet at Home Depot...and yes he was clothed in public...*LOL*), replace a faucet, install a new light fixture, flip a mattress, and help put together a giant 36 X 48 frame I bought for a blow up of one of my skydiving pics.

I really appreciate having him actually.    He told me that he just enjoys the freedom of being naked around the house.   I think he allows his clients to touch him or what not but I've actually pretty much kept things hands off except for an occasional shoulder tap.

It turned out too that he bowls at a gay bowling league that I joined a few years back.    It's a once a month league that meets on the first Saturday of the month.   So we get to socialize briefly at the alley as well.   And since I don't know if everyone knows about his extracurricular activities, I don't discuss that with him.

So yeah that's the first truth.   I'll reveal the other truth in another post.  

EVRIP

I'll do a post on my first of my two truths soon but I had to comment on the state of En Vogue.   I'm clearly behind on the latest happenings as I was shocked today to come across this video on Youtube where now Maxine and Dawn are on one side of the fence battling against Terry and Cindy.



Apparently the interviews happened in September 2012 a few months after Maxine left the group.    It appears the ladies couldn't agree on a new contract.    The last I had heard was that Cindy, Terry, and Maxine were basically stuck in a bad contract and was trying to get out of it.    I guess maybe this was Maxine's way of getting out.

I had high hopes that the four would come up with some kind of compromise so they could work on new material.   I especially was hopeful when SWV got back together and came up with a new album. That album I Missed Us overall is pure unadulterated SWV on the "2012 tip".    It's unfortunately not getting much airplay since unfortunately the state of R&B is not the same way it was in the 80's and 90's.   But I figured if SWV could get it together and do an album, why not En Vogue?

But alas it isn't meant to be.   Maxine and Dawn do sound credible in their interview that they did.    They are now a duo now called "Heirs" (in other words, the true heirs to the "En Vogue" throne).   It'll be interesting to hear some songs from the two of them.   I kinda thought Cindy and Terry were lacking that En Vogue sound without the other two.    Will Maxine and Dawn have that same problem?   Arguably I'd say that Maxine and Dawn were the stronger vocals of the four but are they really the true heirs to the throne?    Or is the answer somewhere in between.   Maybe a compromise...something the four of them just couldn't do.

Why can't these ladies get it together?  Oh well there's always their older body of work to remember them by.

Guess they all got the gun and they triggered a mess from it.



To the original EN VOGUE,  Rest In Peace!

Chillaxed Much

I'm feeling way too chillaxed these days.   In fact my entry will be short and sweet.    I need to snap myself out of my non-blogging mood.    Actually let me play two truths and one lie to summarize what's been happening in my life in the last couple weeks.    Two of them really happened.   One of them is a bold faced lie.


1)  I received yet another speeding ticket this past week after coming back from a routine doctor's appointment.

2)  I hired a man to clean my house in the nude.

3)  I discovered raccoon poop in my back patio.


Hopefully I can get myself back in the blogging mood before long.