Well. I made an agreement with myself I would sit down immediately once the scale dipped below 200 because in my mind, that would be a huge accomplishment!

Well, I’m now 7 months after my surgery. I’m still making progress! I’m averaging about 2.2 pounds per week weight loss. So, for today that accumulates to 80 pounds. I’m now 200 down from 280.

I think that’s amazing. I feel better and am able to move easier. I’m also seeing the first signs of baggy skin. eww. But, I think that’s a price I’m completely willing to pay for improved health. Friends all comment on the amazing transformation but I’m thinking when I see my friends in California next month and Detroit in March, all who haven’t seen me since before the surgery – they will really be surprised.

You can see from the graph, it really adds up that’s for sure.

This week was President Obama’s inauguration. I wish now I had taken the day off. It was too difficult to try and watch it at work. The internet streaming kept jumping and of course there were still clients in need – so I was pulled away so many times – I just gave up. I watched it at home that evening. It seems like so many folks were touched, I think it’s great that we had a national moment. I really didn’t detest Pastor what’s his face so much that day. I was too filled with hope to allow differences to diminish the feeling.

I hope whereever you were, and who you were with, were also filled with hope. With so much work to do – all of our hopes need to be with our national leaders these days.

Be well until I see you again.

I think that just plain crazy should be called such. It doesn’t really matter who proposes crazy does it?

I mean really.

I say this in all seriousness because it’s hard to take serious the new campaign by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Their aim is to rename fish – SEA KITTENS.

It seems the folks at PETA have come up with the notion that if FISH are renamed people will be much less likely to commercially and personally angle for them. They are opposed to fishing.. or, excuse me, sea-kittening.

Somehow they believe that people who normally have no problem putting an earthworm on a hook (most likely it’s own travesty in PETA’s view) and putting it in the water to catch a fish would somehow conjur up different images if we associated kittens with hooks in their mouths.

All this is just plain ridiculous. Love me some pets. Hate mistreatment of animals. Even have come to not roll my eyes at my vegetarian friends. But this is crazy is, as crazy does. There’s really no other way to view it.

All this ranting has now raised my appetite. I’m heading to red lobster to eat me a plate of sea kitten planks.

Mmm Mmm Mmm.

Car.DakotaSide
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

I’m dreaming of warmer weather and running around Austin with the top down. The truck is in need of a new transmission but, it’s older so I guess that’s to be expected.

We spent this weekend hanging out and went to the Paramount Theatre to see Carol Burnett. We had the best time. It was so fun, and funny. She’s amazing and looked great for being nearly 76!

It’s been cold in Austin and I’m not going to complain too loud or long because I remember how hot it is in the summer. So, for now – we’re biding our time. We have fires in the fireplace, Uno the cat loves those. We’ve been doing around the house stuff, like painting and decorating – and spring will come soon enough.

In the meantime I hope your winter is wrapping up nice and you look forward to warmer days and hopefully us spending time together. I’m traveling to California next month and looking forward to that.

It’s going to be great. 🙂

Eric
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

It’s 2009 and all is well. It’s good to be back at work and settled back into the routine. I enjoyed the time off at the holiday break. We did get somethings done around the house. Ok, a lot of things. But, after all is said and done – there’s something nice about a familiar routine.

Eric came to visit from Dallas and that was nice. And, I’m looking forward to visiting California next month and maybe seeing some of you. Fun!

Before he’s even raised his hand to take the oath, it appears our President Elect is working at his reelection in 2012.

What other reasonable explanation could there be for his selection as invocation choice for the inaugural ceremony. Let me start by saying, I’m an Obama fan. I may even be willing to cut him some slack and set aside my concerns in this instance because what our country needs now more than anything – is unity.

That being said, choosing Rick Warren is certainly a bold choice, if not a dumb one. We’re talking about a mega-church pastor who has equated Gay marriage to incest.

I know – huh?

Certainly that must qualify as some sort of radical thinking – if not insanity. But, Obama’s reaching-out may be centered more on trying to bring evangelicals into his centrist fold rather than anything else. It is sort of a nod to the right wing to say “See! I’m really, really not a muslim – and it’d be alright if you moved on over to the center somewhat. And, come 2012, remember how I reached out to you. I’m not a liberal”.

Great. Good for you Mr. President elect. However – if you recall, none of Pastor Warren’s constituents were involved, worked hard, or contributed their dollars to get you the the position where you’ll get to waltz around the floor at your inaugural ball. Quite a large portion of your supporters who did, will be left outside in the cold, looking in the window.

As an admirer of political-posturing-done-well this may be a master stroke. Pastor Warren has much to benefit from this newly-cozy if not odd coupling. With the Reverend Billy Graham and the like moving off the scene – there’s no preeminent successor to carry the torch as the figure head of Christianity for sanctioned formal events.

What a great opportunity for the reverend to raise his stature among his followers, and lure in a whole new batch of converts to his mega-church by pointing to his move towards national prominence. Great. Hope he gets a new hummer out of it.

But, Mr. President-elect – you’re walking a fine line. If things don’t go very well in the coming years (and right now, things are so bad, you’re going to have to be a miracle worker to say the least) the first ones who will seek to throw you overboard to the minnows will be the followers of the good pastor himself. And, if you continue to make moves like this – which isolate, offend and otherwise disillusion the Gay community – I don’t know that you’ll be able to call on that constituency to throw you a life preserver NO MATTER HOW GOOD AN ORATOR you are or if you tap dance a jig better than Ben Vereen himself.

So, that being said – I’ll forgo this one. I’m cautiously optimistic. I’d like to see where you’re going with this one before I write you off as a bait-and-switch candidate who has taken the money of the Gay community, thrown in a few references to aknowledge our existence off stage, and then conveniently forget our existence now that our checks are cashed.

Oh. And a fucking appointment to your cabinet might not be out of the question either. How about that for balance?

Thanks.

In houston at thanksgiving
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

I had a very nice time this year visiting friends in Houston.

It was a good time, but of course Rob was in California with our family – so that would have been nice too. I had used up my vacation in my surgery, so I wasn’t able to venture west this time.

But, I am looking forward to going that way in February.

It’s going to be great fun. In the meantime it’s getting cold here. Yesterday it was 77 degrees, today is like 57. Big drop! And, I’ll survive but I prefer the warm weather any day. Pictured above are friends I traveled from Austin with. Left to right, Shefonda, Resta, Jessica and FaLisha. We mostly stayed off each others nerves and some moments were more successful than others but remember, close quarters does that to even the best of friends right?

Looking forward to gettting the Christmas tree this weekend and starting a painting project in the next couple of weeks. I’m sure the house will look totally different!

Hello and greetings from Austin –> Christopher

It’s getting colder
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

It’s a cool evening. Uno kitten, ever the subtle one, sits staring at
the cold dark fireplace as if to say “Never mind me. Sure I have this
fur. I’m just old and cold, but – I’ll be OK”

Rob caves, of course, fireplace on.

Hope things are well with you and your family

C!

Well. It was nice to hear from friends and family today offering their condolences and sympathies for the passage of Proposition 8 in California. There are so many things to examine from this episode of a civil rights struggle that gains another chapter.

What’s most important, and what I need to reiterate as much for myself as for all of you is that we need not lose hope. Sure, it’s surprising – sometimes appalling to see the degree of bigotry which exists in America. Especially in, what most in our country view, as a liberal haven like California. But, witnessing ignorance or hatred, usually is just that – surprising and appalling.

Mostly because, as Americans, we don’t think of the people who live right next door to us as being capable of disliking us. You know, those folks who for the most part wave at us, or at least nod in our direction when we see each other getting into our cars in the morning. Each going to work. Each earning a living to pay our taxes. Each putting our pant legs on, one-at-a-time. You get the picture.

What bothered most of the people that I’ve spoken with over the last few months were the drives down the streets lined with signs proclaiming support for such a divisive proposition. It created hurt and dismay. Even my own Mother, God-Bless-her, was shocked that someone might take her NO on 8 bumper sticker. (No worries. She replaced it with one on the “inside” of the window. Not fearing someone breaking it, she reminded me that’s what insurance is for).

But, back to the “hope” part.

The struggle of course, is far from over. The cause of reason and justice can’t be deterred by a single event. And, in the big scheme of things, this is a single event.

If you look at the results of Proposition 22 just a few years ago and the results of this vote, it is clear that the sane is gaining ground. It is not possible for the irrational and unsubstantiated to last perpetually.

States like Massachusetts and the like will show America that it is simply unjust in the long run to treat people differently. And, for those who voted for 8, with the argument that civil unions are the same as marriage, thus – we should settle for this – you may be among the most misdirected. It is simply akin to telling a colored person of the 50’s that your fountain dispenses water, it will quench your thirst too – why must you drink from mine.

Demeaning a class of people can only last for a time. But, it’s important that we take this time to examine ourselves. Examine our strategies, and our goals. Let’s use this time to rethink our approach and our future.

Perhaps we expand our advocacy efforts to include repealing tax-exemption laws for “religious” institutions that are more aptly the equivalent to PAC’s. We will need to regroup, and reapproach our conscious awareness of our continued movement. Perhaps commemorating this set back as a day of reflection. Let’s move to make it a day off work. If not through formal holiday, a day of strike. And lets refocus this referendum as one on civil rights. Period. Yes, I’m Gay – but quite frankly as far as this discussion is concerned, that’s irrelevant.

Lastly once we find the votes in the future, hopefully not too distant future, and we bring this to the front of the political conversation again – let’s enlist a nationwide grass roots effort. Each of our LGBT brothers and sisters has as much to gain from this effort as Californians do. Finding a way to involve people from out of state, much like the Mormons and Catholics do can be an effective way to channel our broader energies and efforts from our extended communities.

And – then. Once we repeal this injustice, move to change the laws to require at least two thirds vote for any change to the State Constitution. This referendum should never have passed with a 51 or 52 percent vote. The constitution ought to be held as a document not to be easily changed with the whim of a political group bent on pushing their views on their neighbors. Speaking of neighbors – the next time yours asks to borrow your lawn mower, tell him “get off my fucking lawn i’ll chew your ass up with it!”.

Ok. that last part was just a little frustration venting. Go ahead and give it to them. Show them what a real neighbor should behave like.

Hugs from Texas. We love you all.

Hey. Well, I wanted to provide an update to those who inquire regularly. Thank you so much for your support.

I’m happy about the progress and when you ask, it makes me feel like you care too.

Also an Uno the Cat update. Our little kitty is better. He was out of it for about a week, and we thought we were going to lose him. He was just in one spot and not eating, drinking or going to the bathroom. His eyes were only half open so we set up a little spot for him so he could sleep. He seemed to like the little heating pad we set up (in fact, he’s better now but still hangs out on that pad!)

We cut up some chicken, his favorite and put that down next to him. Eventually he’d try and eat something and then drink some water and this lasted about several days but eventually he started crying again at 5am for chicken. Normally, this would NOT make me happy, but the first morning in over a week, where he cried for a 5am feeding, I was up and out of bed so fast! I was just so happy he was appearing to be heading back to normal.

He’s lost even more weight and is just hanging out on his heating pad most of the time, but it’s nice that he appears from most aspects his usual self.

Thanks to those that asked.

Election day is tomorrow! I’ll be hanging out at our friends John and Chris’ home so we can celebrate this historic moment together. It’ll be historic no matter how it turns out right? But we all know HOW it will turn out. I’m confident.

We’ll also be eyeing west to see how our family and friends are doing with Proposition 8. It is so sad really that folks insist on putting love as a constitutional referendum. I’m surprised by some folks stance on this issue who are sometimes considered in minority groups themselves. It was only 1969 that the last law in America which made it unlawful for peoples of two different races to marry. There was a time in this country where some were viewed as “property” and thus, had no ability to determine who they’d love or be able to marry. There was even a time when women had little say over matrimonial decisions.

To think of what I’ve been hearing in the media from some folks associated with these groups, it makes me shake my head. It’s beyone comprehension really. I hope that justice and common sense prevails. I think we’re seeing in the presidential election that the country is ready for change and healing – and I hope this sentiment extends to the California propositions where folks can say enough of the deviciveness. I hope it all goes well.