TOP 3: Week of September 25 - October 1, 2006

1. Heroes on NBC: this show has jumped right to the top of the chart for me due to its outstanding cast/characters and the expert handling of the story. Heroes is a refreshing breath of cool, clean Central Park airexhibiting not only a lot of spirit but a lot of thought and effort -- something missing in a lot of other once-popular shows ala Lost and Desperate Housewives. And after watching this week's episode, and my optimism for Heroes has been reinforced. Plus, and not to undermine any of my other arguments, Adrian Pasdar is hot.

2. Herb's Mad Dog Dinner Party: last Saturday, my friend Herb from Orlando threw a dinner party at his house. Much in advance, he had sent out invitations (through the US Postal Service, no less) and included a personalized "password" to get in -- an early indication that this wasn't going just going to be a typical "sit-down-and-eat" dinner party. My guest/escort for the event was my friend Emily. We met at my house, and first thing she asked was if she was going to be the only girl there. I didn't know. Sure enough, when we got there, it was her and nine gay guys. Herb had a good mix of people: three couples, four singles; and it was a wonderful surprise to see John and Michael there (who I've met through another mutual friend, David). As for the food, Herb went all out with course after course after course after course. In addition, we had a wine tasting and judging, an "epitome of surfer-dude" contest, and a vote on the most "photogenic" vegetable. This was Emily and my first Gay dinner party, and we both had a lot of fun. Great job, Herb!

3. Pictures from Mom: my mom went to Sam's Club, printed out some photos from her digital camera, and sent me some copies in the mail. I posted them on a previous blog entry (I miss my blonde faux-hawk). Anyways, I'm glad that mom's taking the time to go have some fun now that she's retired. She definitely deserves it (I wasn't an easy child to raise). She is an inspiration for me, and I do appreciate everything she's done for me growing up. She and dad have always been supportive; coming out to them was such a special experience. I miss them and plan on making the drive up to SC before the year's end and am hoping that they'll also be able to make the trip down to Florida.

Other notable events:
- The Living Room of Brevard monthly meeting: I got to hug my crush-turned-local-gay-role-model (I had to re-evaluate). Still, it was revitalizing to get some positive-reinforcement.
- Fall Into Winter 5k: waking up late and running for the sheer fact of running was good for me.
- EPCOT Food & Wine Festival: I got pictures of all the booths and menus, and rode most of the rides... in less than half-a-day, then went outlet mall shopping... got quite a bit out of my system.
- Running Camp "Rain & Shine": Tuesday dehydrated and friggin' scared that I was going to get struck by lightning; Thursday hitting my times, brisk and smiling.