tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12852931414113297852011-12-09T05:25:14.146-05:00Hi, My name is Rick, I live in North Carolina. My favorite things to do are to travel, work on my house and to talk about politics. Stop by often and find out about the latest events going on in my life. Please leave comments, I love to know what you think!Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.comBlogger2631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-71420760982942550482010-10-23T05:05:00.004-04:002010-10-23T09:39:21.133-04:00

Dan Savage is sorta like a celebrity in the LGBT community. While he can be acerbic, sarcastic and rude that is what makes him so charming for me. His brainchild was the "It Get's Better" campaign where people like me tell young LGBT people what it is like getting older as an out person. I am typically loath to jump on these kinds of bandwagons that eventually every person in America jumps onto

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-75794097951334189952010-09-11T07:51:00.001-04:002010-09-11T07:59:52.180-04:00

(Originally posted 9/12/09, revised and edited on 9/11/10) On September 01, 2001 my marriage came to an end. I packed up my belongings and moved into a small studio apartment downtown. At the time I thought that it was not just a life changing moment but the worst day of my life. Ten days later the world as we knew it changed forever and life would never be the same for our country.For some years

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-72456392510902544312010-08-19T16:59:00.004-04:002010-08-19T17:41:21.630-04:00

Yes I know you think this is a blog post about finding my long lost cat. Nope you guessed wrong. Actually the truth of the matter is that fluffy found me and I am not happy. My whole entire life, all 42 years I have hated the word skinny. I used to get teased when I was a kid growing up for being a bean pole. Granddad used to take great glee in calling me grasshopper because of my long skinny

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-37537407988553613642010-07-14T20:06:00.004-04:002010-07-14T21:00:51.528-04:00

These days I am getting lots of inquiries regarding what the heck is going on in my life. Those of you who know me know that I just got back recently from seeing Todd in LA. It was an awesome trip. We saw South Pacific with his good friends Fran and Jeff, who were warm and awesome. The four of us had a wonderful dinner downtown before the show.There was the picnic at the Hollywood Bowl on the

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-41764213779543805412010-05-11T19:03:00.009-04:002010-05-21T02:30:21.992-04:00

Recently I visited my Mom for Mother's Day. Going back to the mountains of Virginia always brings back memories. Driving up with my friend Linda we had a great time enjoying the views and the beautiful blue sky day we were having. By the time we got to the mountains the temperature had dropped at least ten degrees. It suddenly had turned cold. I had been attempting this trip since Christmas but

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-73187306103809335242010-05-02T23:25:00.016-04:002010-10-23T03:36:12.551-04:00

For many years now I have pretty much tried not to make a big deal over my birthday. Mostly I think because I had so many bad ones when I was younger. Since I became a grown up I have often treated myself to somewhat extravagant trips on that day and generally I think I have done a decent job of taking care of myself on my day but I have never really been one to make a big deal out of my birthday

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-77062744336460519892010-03-03T18:36:00.006-05:002010-03-23T00:24:02.303-04:00

I know I have been pretty much AWOL for the last two months, it's just been really crazy here at the Ponderosa. There has been much going on. For starters I have been working diligently on my new project at work and getting contracts and purchase orders written. Since the ground breaking we have been working on site utilities and improvements. The building contractor will be starting next week

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-17322089929168708812010-01-26T20:28:00.005-05:002010-01-28T21:44:44.277-05:00

So I told you recently about Todd, my friend Catherine's best bud who lives in LA. We met just before Christmas. I just got back from visiting Todd in sunny southern California where it was unseasonably chilly and rainy. This was my first time to LA and Palm Springs so one would imagine that I would have a million and one things I wanted to see. The only thing I had on the agenda was to spend

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-81109756515753700822010-01-20T17:07:00.003-05:002010-01-20T18:44:28.771-05:00

To think just a year ago we all had high hopes for our new president. Who knew that just a mere one year later we would all be shaking our heads in disbelief at the sheer audacity of stupidity that would be committed by our guy O. Ted Kennedy rolled over in his grave yesterday and I bet he wishes he and Caroline had held out on giving O that big old endorsement that pulled O out from behind and

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-20020541431498557112010-01-17T06:52:00.003-05:002010-01-19T03:37:29.052-05:00

For those of you who have been following this blog for a while now you know I have talked about my project at work. We officially broke ground last week. They are currently running the water line, the building pad will be completed by the end of February and I am very relieved. I am also very busy right now so the blog will suffer as a result. I will continue to post but it is going to be on a

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-23026423647859456092010-01-09T04:55:00.002-05:002010-01-09T05:00:52.830-05:00

I survived day number five. As I stumble into day number six I am moody and irritable. I could have a serious case of road rage in about five seconds if provoked and I have the worst case of gas I have ever had in my entire life. At this point I don't know if I want to hit someone, or just fart, or both, while at the same time feeding my face with multitudes of food that are neither healthy or

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-81043414848438570562009-12-29T15:29:00.004-05:002010-01-02T16:29:44.950-05:00

Sometimes unexpected gifts arrive at Christmas. There are host gifts you receive when you throw a party, then there are those dreaded gift exchanges, where most of the re-gifting occurs at work parties and such. This year I got several of those kinds of gifts. But there are also times during the holidays when you get a gift that you were not expecting, I got one of those this year.On the eve of

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-78943613161157825952009-12-24T13:25:00.002-05:002009-12-24T13:26:32.897-05:00

This is what happens when you trust someone with keys to your house...I think I would have to shoot someone if they did this to me.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-75707029427393645192009-12-19T02:16:00.004-05:002009-12-19T04:03:37.053-05:00

The funny thing about working in a very conservative industry is that I am constantly prepared for homophobia and for people to say inappropriate things. Anybody who reads the paper here in Charlotte, or shock, reads about news on the internets knows that there has been a great deal of press here about the Mecklenburg County Commissioners approving domestic partner benefits for City and County

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-30618698496035766142009-12-18T16:50:00.002-05:002009-12-18T16:55:08.999-05:00

This video says it better than I ever could about how I feel about Gay Marriage right now. Watch it and pass it on. H/T to Joe.My.God

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-88030059247869740712009-12-14T20:07:00.004-05:002009-12-16T18:26:39.181-05:00

President Obama in his interview with Oprah gives himself a solid B+ for his first year in office. It has inspired me to give him an actual report card based on his performance.Leadership Abilities: DEconomy: CJob Creation: FWomens Rights: BInternational Relations: BTransparency: CLGBT Rights: D-Healthcare: D

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-48005279012438739392009-12-09T19:38:00.003-05:002010-12-19T05:30:33.479-05:00

I really seriously want to know how a Gay marriage is supposed to denigrate the sanctity of marriage? I look at marriage from my own perspective, that of my parents. My parents were both married several times. They were married at a time when it was common place for teens to get hitched. Dad was 16 and Mom was barely 14. My mothers parents had to sign for them to get married. It is my own Granma,

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-89565464578278673182009-11-30T21:50:00.009-05:002009-11-30T22:59:48.834-05:00

On the eve of World Aids Day Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave remarks that address the proposed law in Uganda that would criminalize Homosexuals.Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill proposes death by hanging for 'serial offenders' or those who commit same-sex acts while they are HIV positive.It imposes a sentence of life imprisonment for touching another person with the intent to have

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-65356522502822433892009-11-25T17:26:00.004-05:002009-11-25T19:17:01.215-05:00

Tonight I had the great pleasure of getting a call from the DNC, under the umbrella of Organizing for America. I was polite, I let the guy get through the talking points about the great accomplishments of the President. I bit my tongue and waited for him to finish.When he wrapped up his little pep talk he asked me for $1000. I laughed out loud! Then I let him have it with both barrels blazing.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-81637105682922203532009-11-23T20:10:00.002-05:002009-11-23T22:25:21.513-05:00

As y'all know I am a homo, hence the urge to update about repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) and passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). These are two pieces of legislation that candidate Barack Obama campaigned on openly and spoke out about in numerous settings, not just with LGBT audiences but with mainstream audiences.Word came out last week that both pieces of legislation has

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-55191070559862874882009-11-16T18:41:00.010-05:002010-10-23T03:40:45.333-04:00

For the last four months I have been lying to my BFF, Linda. Last Saturday the mantra became Lie, Delay and Stall when I thought that she was going to show up at my house early for a surprise 50th birthday party in her honor. I hate lying but a man has got to do what a mans gotta do in order to keep a secret. Fortunately the roomie was able to drop by her house and delay her.For two days I had

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-66442629229301088342009-11-09T16:59:00.006-05:002009-11-09T20:15:21.024-05:00

When I was in Paris last year with my ex we stopped at this beautiful art nouveau restaurant and I ordered me a great big ole fillet. I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy. So out comes my steak cooked to perfection and it is accompanied with potatoes Dauphine. I had heard of them from watching Top Chef when I watched the episode where the cast had to replicate them without a recipe. For those of

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-29257082099450105162009-11-02T22:14:00.002-05:002009-11-02T23:03:47.864-05:00

For my regular followers I am really pleased to report that my big work project got a major nudge towards a green light today. After nearly a year of working on this I am finally authorized to hire a General Contractor to begin the foundation work on the project. Today was a good day. This means that after all of this time, countless hours of meetings, trips to Paris, Montreal, Chattanooga, DC,

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-70577306521733872152009-10-25T02:42:00.004-04:002009-10-25T04:38:48.781-04:00

The Employment Non Discrimination Act S. 1584/H.R. 3017 (ENDA) was introduced in the 111'th congress by Barney Frank (D - MA) and Iliana Ros-Lehtinen (R - FL). The Human Rights Campaign describes ENDA this way: "ENDA simply affords to all Americans basic employment protection from discrimination based on irrational prejudice. The bill is closely modeled on existing civil rights laws, including

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-67555560202623285602009-10-21T22:58:00.010-04:002009-10-22T18:27:38.092-04:00

Before:Everyone wants to make a great "First Impression", myself included. As most of my regular visitors know I am currently in overdrive working on the house. Read: Mother is coming to visit. Enough said right?Every time mom decides to visit I always go through the five stages of "Mom Visit", one - fear, two - cleaning frenzy, three - squeeze as many projects into my life as humanly possible,

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-28557616190497083612009-10-15T23:07:00.008-04:002009-10-15T23:41:06.852-04:00

As we all know now the Matthew Sheppard Act has passed the house and now on the eve of the senate taking a vote on the Hate Crimes Act this video shows just why we need to have hate crimes expanded to LGBT people. Fair warning, the video is very disturbing and violent.Today I took a half a day of vacation to drive to Greensboro in the rain to meet with a staffer in Senator Kay Hagan's office. I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-59628287436721313982009-10-10T23:01:00.004-04:002009-10-11T09:43:00.718-04:00

It's been a big week for the president, first he wins the Nobel Peace Prize and tonight he was whooping it up with an adoring, well heeled, black tie audience at the Human Rights Campaign dinner. It was a nice speech folks. A speech that was without time lines for a single piece of legislation that would actually impact the lives of LGBT people. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, I voted for

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-44067423176470950012009-10-10T15:21:00.003-04:002009-10-10T15:58:27.367-04:00

It has been nearly a month since my last post. Slack I know. I am just really busy these days and I just don't have time to write as much as I would like. There has been much travel for work and too many meetings to talk about. In my spare time I have been working like a dog on the Ponderosa. I finally finished my dining room after a year with my furniture in storage in a spare room. The worst

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-90578885004946128702009-09-08T19:03:00.006-04:002009-09-10T22:21:29.809-04:00

Well I have pretty much fallen off the face of the earth these days. The demands of my job have been taking a toll on my life and it sucks. So here I am after another long day at the office and I am blogging about nothing in general, just kvetching and lamenting. Since returning from my vacation in Paris my life has slowly started getting back to normal and that is a good thing.What have I been

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-89435087212059531202009-09-02T17:14:00.005-04:002009-09-02T19:32:14.915-04:00

Back in April I wrote a very brief post about boycotting Glen Beck. These days it is the number one hit on my blog and I get traffic daily as a result. Well finally after all these months and now that the story is gaining steam and the Beck show advertisers have been dropping like flies I am now getting hate mail via facebook because of this post.There is actually no dialoguing with these people.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-71569807382032369162009-08-29T20:22:00.003-04:002009-08-31T18:14:38.827-04:00

Lately I have been in a flurry of travel, three trips now. This last one I was really dreading. Three days in Montreal, where I was presenting in front of the internationals from all over the world. The elites in my field, well within our company anyway. I pulled the presentation off to the best of my ability, my boss only jumped in a couple times to help when questions came up and I was tanking.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-49535142264392054252009-08-23T22:22:00.002-04:002009-08-23T22:36:44.646-04:00

I have often written about my Detroit roots here. It is always for me the place that I call home. My connection to Detroit is so strong. I love the people of Detroit, the food, the grittiness. Detroit shaped me in so many ways and is such a part of who I am. Living in that city had such an impact on me. It helped to make me who I am.There is a new show on HBO called Hung. It is a pretty funny

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-1688896250561613282009-08-17T19:50:00.005-04:002009-08-17T22:32:46.213-04:00

A great big hug and nod to Lisa Golden over at That's Why for inspiring me to write about this. Lisa your words always leave me moved beyond belief.Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves you ask? Well growing up I have fallen into anyone of these three categories at different points in my life, but for the purposes of this blog I am talking about being a gypsy. As an avowed gypsy there are more stories than

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-85528971290909820772009-08-05T23:26:00.006-04:002009-08-09T23:56:39.106-04:00

So the summer recess has begun for Congress. For the first time in my adult life I am in the process of contacting my Senators and am trying to secure appointments to see them and you should be doing the same thing. At this point in my life I have only met two Senators, one of whom is now our current President, the other is Clarie McCaskill. Meeting with my legislators was not my idea. I have

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-78796705173345138482009-07-28T18:02:00.007-04:002009-08-04T20:17:22.986-04:00

So I have been back now for just over a full week. I guess I kind of want to write a postscript to the trip about things that I did not blog about during the time I was away. Twenty days went by really quickly, like a bolt of lightening really. Before I knew it I was packing to come home, against my will, but as always I did the right thing. I got on the plane and came home to my mundane life.I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-6130995816643222702009-07-26T21:48:00.004-04:002009-07-26T22:09:26.608-04:00

Leaving Paris sucks in a big way. I am surly and morose. Saying good bye stinks. A waiter asked me to define Paris into two words when he saw me reading "A Moveable Feast" and I was tongue tied. Define Paris into two words? Good Gawd...that is impossible.So here we are, I am home. I just laid on the couch with the babies and scratched them behind the ears. The mail is piled next to the computer,

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-80670102202235721542009-07-23T16:33:00.007-04:002009-07-26T21:27:20.403-04:00

What can you accomplish in 48 hours? Here we are now, winding down our trip to Paris and at eight days into it we are finally running out of things to do. We have seen practically everything that everyone who comes here wants to see. Ten days is a long time. It is enough time that there are lots of opportunities for things to go awry, which they did, there is enough time for tempers to flair,

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-728024456291276592009-07-18T20:14:00.006-04:002009-07-21T17:20:46.649-04:00

Today as we traipsed through the Louvre and the Muse d'Orsay once again I thought about a lot of things. First I thought about what a lucky SOB I am to have the opportunity to relive some moments in these places. The Louvre is as always just spectacular. We ambled through the Egypt exhibits which was a first for all of us. I took my niece to see the Mona Lisa as much as I dislike it. I know it is

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-58264372540853797362009-07-15T11:25:00.004-04:002009-07-15T14:37:03.234-04:00

It is no wonder that in our hurry to do everything, to be connected, to blog, to twitter, to relate in real time that we miss out on so much in life. This trip has taken me to a new level as far as travel is concerned. The last two days I have made the exact same journey to take in the sights, my first stop is the Eiffel Tower where I make my way to L'Ecole Millitare and catch the metro to the

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-84384412326173378472009-07-13T11:54:00.006-04:002009-07-13T12:35:05.011-04:00

So you want to know what a tattoo has to do with Paris? When I came to Paris to celebrate the New Year of 2002 it was my first trip abroad as a single man. My ex Mr. Lightyear and I had separated on 9.1.01, a mere 10 days before the world changed for all Americans. On 9.11 I thought the world as we knew it was coming to an end.Not only did we survive it but I survived my separation. Although, I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-29675995253926073622009-07-11T14:49:00.005-04:002009-07-11T16:16:15.800-04:00

Having arrived back in Paris yesterday after a two hour train ride with my work colleague I found myself pretty tired. What I can say about the countryside was that it was beautiful. I saw acre upon acre covered with farms and fields full of sunflowers craning their faces to catch a glimpse of the sun. Now I know why so many paintings show these very fields.Last night was an early night. When I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-86017599487492010442009-07-05T23:06:00.006-04:002009-07-07T15:18:42.910-04:00

Last night he bags were strewn throughout the upstairs of my house. Topsy turvy, half packed and not yet quite ready for their journey. Yesterday involved a trip to the Sprint store to deal with an international phone without a sim card and that I thought would not accept the one from my blackberry, boy was I chagrined when the technician popped it out and into the new phone, then it was off to

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-6219491725545822642009-07-01T21:35:00.007-04:002009-07-04T13:47:41.755-04:00

Three days, yes, in just three days I will be headed to Paris. On Wednesday I will be arriving at our corporate HQ and spending the entire day in meetings. What the hell do I wear? My nerves are shot. Even my boss has never been to HQ. We are having an international conference call on said day and my luck I will be the only one speaking English. The packing starts this weekend. The lists abound

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-12155543144774830862009-06-28T06:45:00.006-04:002009-06-28T15:43:59.315-04:00

Today marks the forty year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, essentially the birth of the modern gay rights movement. For the record when I say gay rights I say that as an umbrella to LGBT, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. There is often even in our own community arguments against calling it Gay rights as some think that it leaves them off of the list. So for the record

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-58605868962168086182009-06-24T21:48:00.002-04:002009-06-24T23:04:40.436-04:00

I know it appears I have been a bit spacey for the last little bit, posting and then disappearing for days on end. Things have been up and down around here at the Ponderosa. Some days are good ones and some I just can't seem to get it together. At times just getting out of bed, getting the dogs fed and making it to the office on time seems like a major accomplishment.Treading on personal, which I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-79367615228739968192009-06-24T19:54:00.003-04:002009-06-24T19:58:00.852-04:00

Enough said... I will not even get into hypocrisy or religion. The best place for Sanford to go is back to Argentina.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-3948022350910207912009-06-24T06:49:00.004-04:002009-06-24T07:46:20.438-04:00

The times are changing and those of us in the LGBT community know it. We are more visible than ever before. Most everyone in the USA can now say that they know someone personally who is either Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender. We have come out in record numbers in the last 20 years and it is starting to change public perceptions.We still have much to do as a community towards educating the

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-19000368485240944002009-06-21T16:49:00.003-04:002009-06-21T18:54:07.353-04:00

Its been fourteen years since I lost my father. We never called him that, it was always just Daddy, or sometimes Dad. Every year on this day I lament about not having a father to send a card to. No Hallmark moments for me. To say that our relationship was strained is an understatement, but I'll write about that another day.Just before I lost my father my ex, Buzzlightyear and I had just bought a

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-34575853357755215422009-06-20T22:45:00.005-04:002009-06-21T01:11:23.700-04:00

Forgive me if I am not a very patient person. I keep reading that one word on all of the blogs about the LGBT community and why are we not giving the President more time to work on our issues...he has only been in office for six months, gays are having a hissy fit over nothing. Look them up and you will find their posts on all of the blogs, from the New York Times to Politico to even the

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-36921173154312417242009-06-19T21:54:00.003-04:002009-06-19T22:10:17.504-04:00

If you are the least bit interested in what is going on over the latest regarding the Obama Administration and the LGBT community go to AMERICAblog right now and read all about it. I am going to take the weekend off and just read. To say that teh gays are pissed is like saying Rush is a prick. It has been a big week in teh gay world and guess what WE ARE NOT TAKING IT ANYMORE. For starters the

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-88049032008712843432009-06-17T20:35:00.005-04:002009-06-17T20:48:18.828-04:00

Dear Mr. President,I have been a strong supporter, both in the primary and in the general election of 2008. As an out gay man I headed up the largest group in Charlotte, NC and held the first meet up here in Charlotte. When I met you here at our Town Hall backstage last March it was a proud day for me.I did not just put time into this election I put a great deal of money into it as well. I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-17715849047806127382009-06-17T12:37:00.003-04:002009-06-17T13:10:19.283-04:00

I was duped. This weekend I spent a great deal of time on the blogs reading about the Obama administration and their approach to resolving this kekuffle over the vile and homophobic DOJ memo defending DOMA. You may want to check out AMERICAblog and Pams House Blend when you get a chance, they have done a great job covering this story that went largely unreported by mainstream media until

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-78980775698263264472009-06-13T23:15:00.004-04:002009-06-14T00:42:25.220-04:00

I posted a letter today written in response to the DOJ defending DOMA. I thought it was a pretty good letter. I got several responses back from the letter to the group and I wanted to post two quotes from them here for everyone to see what kind of response we get from the left. I think it's wrong from you to compare the civil rights movement to a gay/marriage rights issue. Rosa Parks had no

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-53342488949678597322009-06-13T14:01:00.002-04:002009-06-13T14:35:33.887-04:00

I signed up today to participate in the upcoming National March for Equality to be held on October 10-11 in Washington DC. With all of my latest rants I am hoping that maybe a few of my readers will consider meeting me in DC to make our voices heard. Here is the first promo for the event via Joe.My.God.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-26596117052768764122009-06-12T21:58:00.001-04:002009-06-12T22:00:23.795-04:00

My open letter to my fellow volunteers:Dear Friends, You know me, you know what a fierce advocate for change I was during the election in 2008. I walked side by side with you, registered voters with you, organized meet ups in our hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina and I worked like never before to get Barack Obama elected to the White House. It was this election that re-inspired me to believe

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-44912143149457949512009-06-12T17:13:00.004-04:002009-06-12T18:06:32.519-04:00

What a week folks. I was asked to guest blog over at PublicSquare.net about Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which was kind of an honor especially since I think my sleepy little blog never gets any traffic. I decided though not to guest blog at Public Square because I just feel like my opinions are my own and I am not scholarly enough to really debate in that kind of arena. Imagine my surprise when I came

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-18330825232437282342009-06-10T19:49:00.006-04:002009-06-10T20:38:35.945-04:00

Mowing grass is one of my least favorite chores. It inevitably occurs all too quickly and interrupts my penchant for being already overwhelmed with far too many other tasks. So here it is another week at the Ponderosa and the lawn is calling me, the damn green, green grass of home.I have no choice but to answer the call in earnest. When you have an acre of earth and in order to tame it, you find

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-1124406880178564042009-06-09T03:11:00.004-04:002009-06-09T03:28:36.934-04:00

Today I wrote a letter to President Obama, it is included in it's entirety for you to read:Dear President Obama,It is with much disappointment that I read today that the Justice Department argued for the Supreme Court not to hear the case regarding Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. In the run up to this election I became an early supporter because I felt that the Clinton's had let down the Gay community by

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-39534852579380511942009-06-04T19:59:00.006-04:002009-06-05T18:50:19.273-04:00

You know the best thing about my upcoming trip to Paris is that I am able to think about something besides work for a change. Going back as a seasoned traveler is going to make the trip much smoother. I have spent several nights this week planning on how we are going to attack the city and get everything in. I have lists and lists for the lists. My current dilemma is what to do about a cell phone

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-9345597196220621282009-06-01T18:28:00.008-04:002009-06-01T23:51:12.340-04:00

I know a lot of folks here on the internets thinks that GM declaring bankruptcy is no big deal. I've read a boatload of posts about how the US automakers should just go the way of the Edsel, the Pinto, and the Fiero. I have also read that they deserve to fail, that it is the fault of the Unions, that they just got too fat. As most of my loyal followers know I am a former Detroiter. Collectively

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-11619941669065566732009-05-31T20:42:00.003-04:002009-05-31T23:59:29.953-04:00

Apparently for some on the far right God justifies killing a doctor who preforms abortions. Not all who have faith subscribe to this belief, fortunately for me I have met some who have a deep and abiding faith, they like me would abhor these kind of acts. It is about time that we call this exactly what it is, Domestic Terrorism.Personally I think that those who are opposed to Abortion should have

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-68932356911809849492009-05-28T17:43:00.008-04:002009-05-28T20:08:57.503-04:00

A little bit of excitement has been going on here at the Ponderosa. Those loyal followers here at Travelingman.Rick know that I am all set to take off in July with my niece and my best friend Linda for 12 days in Paris. Today I was asked to go to Paris a week early for work. I will be spending a total of 19 days in the City of Light!The adventure really begins now. Because I will be there for so

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-3511024585207016462009-05-26T18:48:00.005-04:002009-05-26T21:01:12.117-04:00

I am not going to blog about Prop H8 tonight. You all read the same blogs I do and in all honesty one more irate rant about prop 8 will serve no purpose, nor will posting about how outraged I am that the right is attacking Obama's SCOTUS nominee. The feigned outrage already spewing from the right is pretty laughable when you compare Sotomayor's resume with Miers. What am I going to blog about?

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-84244432079365056772009-05-25T02:14:00.002-04:002009-05-25T02:22:14.613-04:00

Ok normally I do not promote anything on Fox, I hate Fox. I refuse to watch Idol not only because I think it is bad television but it airs on Fox. All of that said I set my DVR to record Glee, a new show over at Fox. Now that all of my favorite shows are done airing I thought what the heck at least I could see a diversion and maybe have a laugh, right now I can use all the laughs I can get.I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-81438078725553335422009-05-24T13:36:00.006-04:002009-05-24T22:39:59.815-04:00

Memorial Day is always one of those special days of the year that I think about my Grandpa Estel. Grandpa was a special man in so many ways. When I was growing up he was like a father to me and someone who's counsel always meant a great deal. Grandpa dropped out of school before he could even drive a car, I believe it was when he was in elementary school. In the 1940's there were not a great deal

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-11425032612160001412009-05-21T17:09:00.004-04:002009-05-21T18:11:01.229-04:00

My blogging buddy Christopher over at From The Left got me to thinking today about Don't Ask Don't Tell. Christopher and the commenter's all had a lot of good things to say about ending DADT. There was also a lot of disappointment expressed that Obama has not done anything about it. That got my wheels to turning and my blood to simmer just a bit.My comment was that until we The Public make it

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-27967742288526474322009-05-17T17:19:00.003-04:002009-05-18T18:36:57.739-04:00

Being single takes some getting used to. Relearning dating etiquette, doing the dance at my age just is not a great deal of fun. I am at least putting myself out there though. Date number three with the marathon man went really well on Friday night when I was finally able to get on the ground at home. I went over to his house and we cooked a late dinner together, and watched a movie, The Ice

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-9562163284242239442009-05-16T04:58:00.004-04:002009-05-16T14:08:17.699-04:00

OK, so I am going to get everyone up to speed. It's been a really long week. This week was the last time I wanted to be away from home, let alone away my current project. I knew going into this week that when I left for Tennessee that I would not be able to get much done in the way of work. So there we are on Wednesday morning waiting for the flight in the airport.Dressed in good old Southern

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-5039216742101875192009-05-11T03:36:00.008-04:002009-05-12T19:28:40.379-04:00

So you have read about my weekend? In case you didn't it was a weekend full of laughs, surprises, frustrations and experiences. There is a bit of back story about this weekend that you should know about though. My big work project, which I have now spent over a year working on came to a screeching halt on Friday. As friends and relatives all began making their collective way to Charlotte I was

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-58692444040686194622009-05-10T14:38:00.003-04:002009-05-10T15:57:19.645-04:00

I just watched my mom drive away and for the first time in the twenty years I have been gone from home I shut the door and I cried. Not because I was relieved to have her gone but because I knew I was going to miss her. We seldom see each other, only maybe just four or five times a year. That is what happens when you live four hours away. Which, to be honest, is way better than the nine or ten

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-62450434806113705502009-05-07T07:11:00.005-04:002009-05-07T07:44:58.469-04:00

There has been much hustle and bustle here at the Ponderosa over the last few weeks. I have visitors coming in from all over the place to attend my friend Linda's graduation this weekend. In the midst of all of this activity I have nearly had a nervous breakdown. There is nothing like the thought of visitors coming to kick me in the arse and get me moving.It all started in the den this week where

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-21562363575580009912009-05-06T06:46:00.003-04:002009-05-06T07:30:12.269-04:00

Over at the Post this morning I read an opinion piece about torture, I have been reading a great deal about torture so that I can get an informed opinion and so that I can understand the whole mess that was generated by the Bush administration. John Bolton writes: "The question here is not whether one agrees or disagrees with the advice the lawyers gave, or with their superiors' operative

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-4616927487289098342009-05-04T07:00:00.003-04:002009-05-04T07:13:08.997-04:00

On May 3rd while addressing elementary school students at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Washington DC, Ms. Rice after giving an evening lecture took questions from the audience.One of those questions involved torture. It was during this segment that Misha Lerner asked what did Rice think about the things President Obama's administration was saying about the methods the Bush

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-6725819676379388272009-05-02T19:28:00.006-04:002009-05-02T21:20:20.414-04:00

My buddy over at John abuzz nominated me for an Honest Scrap award. This is the second time John has mentioned me over at his blog. What is an Honest Scrap you ask? “This award is bestowed upon a fellow blogger whose blog content or design is, in the giver’s opinion, brilliant.” "Scrap means left over, fragments, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-81415596462852044782009-04-30T19:12:00.005-04:002009-04-30T20:31:50.596-04:00

It is safe to say that I have loved Charleston the first time I ever set foot on it's cobblestone streets. The large oaks lining the streets, the Spanish moss, the smell of the sea air, they all draw you in, much like a beautiful southern drawl. My first trip to Charleston was some fifteen years ago when Mr. Lightyear took me there for our first trip away as a couple. We stayed at the very swanky

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-44454164688489692352009-04-28T06:47:00.003-04:002009-04-28T07:04:53.262-04:00

Hey folks! Sorry I have not posted anything recently. I had a crazy weekend and now I am off to Charleston, SC for a work trip. Nothing beats being with coworkers when you are out of town on your birthday right? I will be home on Friday so hopefully I will get something done then.Actually I am looking forward to driving across the Cooper River Bridge as I have not been to Charleston since it was

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-11482061807150710732009-04-25T03:28:00.005-04:002009-04-25T04:14:28.775-04:00

You are probably sick of my posts regarding Torture. Get used to it. I have a bee in my bonnet to force this into the light of day. It offends me in the worst way that I live in a country that the former administration thinks that it's actions were acceptable. Folks we are at a defining moment in our Nations History. We can either sweep this under the rug or deal with it head on. The more I read

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-31307422701613703632009-04-24T07:55:00.003-04:002009-04-24T08:23:11.256-04:00

Torture is an ugly thing. As the right has attempted to redefine torture as "enhanced techniques" they are attempting to legitimize actions that were approved at the very top levels of the Bush administration. I cannot believe it but I am about to commend Bush for one thing. Bush is keeping silent because I believe in his heart of hearts he knows that what they did was ultimately wrong. Bush's

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-69413204306361453882009-04-22T18:17:00.005-04:002009-04-22T19:57:57.588-04:00

I spent my lunch hour today reading the United States Senate Armed Services Committee Report on Detainee Treatment and have continued reading since arriving home from work. Like reading any document produced by the Government it is full of details and quite a bit of redaction's. You may have forgotten that I posted once before about the treatment of detainees at Gitmo back awhile. To this day my

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-19905610690829580552009-04-20T21:29:00.008-04:002009-04-21T02:46:29.630-04:00

For some time now I have been talking about my current work project in a fairly kind of cryptic way. I have chosen to do this for several reasons. Mostly because I am a fairly private person at work and because I have not wanted to jinx the project. We submitted plans recently to aquire our building permit and lo and behold we are getting that much closer to fruition and a final green light from

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-20241464606381572352009-04-20T20:33:00.005-04:002009-04-20T21:12:34.397-04:00

The former Vice President just cannot seem to stop teabagging George W. Bush these days. Appearing today with Sean Hannity on Faux News to distort lie to the American public, Cheney (in bold and italics) had this to say:“Well, I guess I’ve been concerned the way that we’ve been represented overseas.” Concerned? Really? It must suck to be a Dick and see our new President having to make up for

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-56165905843754629322009-04-19T11:41:00.007-04:002009-04-19T15:05:37.501-04:00

So I have been neglecting my little blog the last couple weeks, not posting as much as I should, nor commenting like I used to at the blogs I follow. I promise that my recent pity party has ceased. I don't have the time to sit around and feel sorry for myself because I have been busy working around the Ponderosa. The truth is I have been working my butt off because I have house guests coming.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-60663974633586746302009-04-15T19:55:00.003-04:002009-04-15T20:39:12.233-04:00

The references to Teabagging are everywhere this week. Egad, Rachel Maddow making tongue in cheek jokes about it last night was enough to give me nightmares. Everybody knows today is the deadline to file your taxes. Sure it is a pain in the rear, but Americans everywhere make their way to the Post Office and file their Taxes.Paying taxes in my opinion is actually a good thing. It is an utterly

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-90808534392466279782009-04-14T21:00:00.005-04:002009-04-14T21:39:56.043-04:00

Ok, so the broker dumped me. Well he didn't so much dump me as he said the dreaded words "it's really not about you, it's just me." Blah, Blah, Blah. So I spent the day feeling sorry for myself. Trying to attempt to find my glass half full again, I thought, you know I have seen dozens of those damn e-harmony commercials...There they sit, beautiful couples who are deeply in love and who have

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-46667451789491948902009-04-14T17:44:00.005-04:002009-04-14T18:09:57.850-04:00

Ok I admit it, I have been wallowing in self pity as I am want to do on occasion. When I go to my own special little private hell I can get pretty comfy there and it gets hard for me to leave that special place. When I go there I am all alone and I check my responsibilities at the door. You know all of those mundane things that you people of the internets manage to do effortlessly. You run

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-37123226427649445862009-04-08T15:59:00.007-04:002009-04-08T16:47:16.283-04:00

I love tests. I am a great test taker. Nothing pleases me more than to prepare for a test knowing without fail that I will pass. Some tests are harder than others. Being a gay man I have for twenty years now taken a lot of tests. Only this is not the kind of test you can study for. It is a test that you can't really prepare for.We are talking about an HIV test. My first HIV test was in 1989. Back

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-90425621756078258112009-04-07T18:51:00.002-04:002009-04-07T18:54:11.078-04:00

I am not normally someone who calls for boycotts, but Glen Beck is out of control. So here is a list of sponsors and contact information. Make your voice heard and pass the list on.Walgreens Media RelationsMary Shultz, Walgreens Manager, Broadcast Media: 847-914-2961200 Wilmot RoadDeerfield, IL 60015(847) 914-2500—————————————————————-Lexmark x2 859-232-2221Director of Corporate Communications –

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-24687290750017126382009-04-07T18:33:00.003-04:002009-04-07T18:41:12.496-04:00

Newt has gone off the reservation in this video from Faux News. Seriously folks, have these guys lost it or what? Watch the video and you almost have to laugh at them. The only problem is that they are fanning the flames with the gun toting nutcases who are ripe for the picking. They are crossing a very dark line that should concern us all. Especially when they start making shit up. What is

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-6410060652289105152009-04-05T16:53:00.006-04:002009-04-05T23:23:18.045-04:00

OK, so I am going to finally give him a name and write about him. It's actually been four weeks since we met and have been "dating". For the sake of his privacy, I am going to call him "the broker". We met online...I think both of us anticipated a clandestine meeting at first. Kinda like Dick Cheney and his death squad, but then we met and talked politics until the wee hours of the morning. We

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-40307818675487988132009-04-01T20:16:00.003-04:002009-04-01T20:43:38.409-04:00

I got up this morning with an uncanny feeling that it was going to be a good day. I turned on the TV to see our President and First Lady arriving in Europe and was relieved that we can all breath a big sigh of relief that "W" won't be feeling up Merkle again anytime soon, or putting whoopie cushions in the Queens chair. Today is April Fools day and ding dong, the biggest fool of them all is not

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-17905416593346088242009-03-31T02:20:00.000-04:002009-03-31T03:20:40.674-04:00

Well folks all is back to normal here at the Ponderosa. I am feeling much better. Yesterday I managed to cook dinner and get off of the couch long enough to get just a few things accomplished. Why could I not get sick on a Monday instead of ruining my weekend?There are a million things I could post about today. I would love to rant about the latest from the batshit crazy Michelle Bachman, calling

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-78919746907602640342009-03-29T12:09:00.003-04:002009-03-29T12:57:30.656-04:00

I spent the better part of last night kneeling at the altar of the porcelain god. Well, I alternated between kneeling and several other positions. I was disgustingly and violently ill. As I hovered over the porcelain god I muttered something like "God, take me now, just let me die." God wasn't listening so I was forced to endure several hours of the sit, kneel, stand, and repeat routine. It was a

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-64283660231572252852009-03-27T00:07:00.010-04:002009-03-28T08:40:33.235-04:00

The summer of 1985 saved my life. While between my Junior year and Senior year of High School I was a busy guy. I signed up for the Navy that summer. I will post more about that later. So my summer was spent getting most of that in order. Because we had no money for me to go to college I thought what better way to get my college paid for. I would give the military four years of my life and I

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-59955178246229502782009-03-26T20:47:00.011-04:002009-03-27T00:03:07.779-04:00

Moving back to Appalachia in the summer of 1984 was a pretty traumatic time for me, as I just previously posted about. I felt the post was a tad on the maudlin side so I will attempt to be a little more upbeat about post city living in this post. Bear with me if all of this years gone by stuff is not your thing. I've had allot on my mind for the last 20 years, so two or three posts about it is

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-51946042456358879742009-03-25T17:56:00.006-04:002009-03-25T19:30:06.158-04:00

When I talk about High School I have to separate it. There was the pre 1984 days while in suburban Detroit and there is the post 1984 days spent in Appalachia. For a teenager there could not have been two more different environments to be exposed to. Suburban Detroit where we were from was mostly filled with former residents of the south who had moved north to find jobs working for the big three.

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-58679237855199704382009-03-24T23:32:00.004-04:002009-03-25T00:43:55.149-04:00

When taking a vacation there is almost always that point of satisfaction that you get when you crawl back into your bed and come to the realization that there really is no place like home. When I got home yesterday I kept waiting for that feeling to kick in. I am still waiting. Yes it was great to see my dogs, hibernate in the den with the DVR and get caught up with what happened on my favorite

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-13585215199111903542009-03-23T18:52:00.009-04:002009-03-23T20:34:46.974-04:00

It is pretty hard to beat Starbucks coffee with fellow bloggers, but my journey took me elsewhere for the rest of my trip. I headed to midtown Atlanta and stayed at the Midtown Hotel. Not shabby, a bit overpriced at $117 per night but a nice clean room, friendly staff and great location. Since I was only staying one night I really didn't care that much about the hotel anyway.What does a middle

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-38772126442605900992009-03-21T21:01:00.012-04:002009-03-21T22:57:55.596-04:00

Today was a really exciting day. I got up this morning and I couldn't wait to get on the road. I was heading to one of my favorite places, Atlanta. I LOVE Atlanta. It is the kind of place where I feel right at home. It is a big city, the kind of place where you can just fade into the background while you are surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a big city.Getting to Atlanta is really a road

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-33914146595868209112009-03-19T18:03:00.003-04:002009-03-19T18:27:58.108-04:00

Dear Unemployed Americans,I have nothing but sympathy for your situation. I realize that nationwide Americans everywhere are struggling. You are in pain and all of us here in tiny little Charlotte feel your pain. The problem is that all of the unemployed people think they are moving to a Job Mecca by coming here. Unfortunately, there are no more rooms at the Inn.It was announced today that

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1285293141411329785.post-67120880345290274462009-03-18T07:19:00.004-04:002009-03-18T07:42:14.578-04:00

AIG-Where do I begin. There are a lot of great posts out there about AIG, my complaint about AIG or any other bank giving a bounus right now is that they are rewarding the idiots who helped to drive these banks into the ground. In the real world that just does not happen. Enough said. Take the bonus money back, period.Megan McCain-Hey Laura Ingram if you cannot take on someone with a substantive

Travelingman Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12044448017559143638noreply@blogger.com4