This is an absolutely beautiful live version of this song. Grab a tissue. You will need it. It was filmed during the annual "Primal Symphony" Charity Concert benefitting the Seattle Children's Hospital.
As most of my friends and family know, I've been training for this race for several months. After putting up with the constant dehydration, perspiration, soreness, pseudo-dieting, and long weekend runs, it was time for my hard work to prove itself. A few weeks ago, I strained my left quadricep and soon become unsure as to how I would pull this off. Regardless, I knew I had to cross that damn finish line.
My running partner (meaning, I sort of dragged him into this) and I made our way to Dallas on Saturday. The only thought going through my mind was, "Let's just get this race over with so I can enjoy a cocktail." It was difficult to fathom running 13.1 miles alongside 20,000 other registrants. Not only that, the weather forecast predicted temperatures to be in the mid-30s. Yes, I'm from Texas. Yes, I'm a bit of wimp when it comes to winter weather. The two go hand in hand.
[Sunday, 5:00 am] Neither of us had any desire to move from under our blankets. Without even touching the window, I could sense the outside temperature, and it sent a shiver down my spine. After a few minutes of mental debating, we finally began to get ready. With a healthy breakfast in our stomachs, we bundled up and headed to Fair Park. The directions suggested that we arrive by 6:30 am. Easy enough, right? Wrong. As we approached the multiple exits we could take, each one was at a complete standstill. I know this was the first year the race started at Fair Park, but they really need to attend to the traffic issue. It was pretty much a huge clusterfuck. Thank Gawd we were smart enough to find a "secret" alternate route.
Finally, I was in the midst of the runners, waiting to cross the starting line. Despite being cold, I was in my own world with my iPod flowing into my ears. My adrenaline was pumping, and I was ready to embark on this athletic experience. The race itself was actually...fun and enjoyable. Shocking, I know. Who would ever think running 13.1 miles is fun? It was scenic, the weather was gorgeous, and as corny as it may sound, having strangers cheer for you was more than endearing. Some of the posters were pretty clever ("Hurry up because I have to poop", "Run faster because the zombies are behind you", etc.) There were a few moments when I felt like my legs were going to give out, but I knew I had to push through the pain. The miles seamlessly flowed by...8, 9, 10...
At mile 11, it hit me. I could literally taste the beer at the finish line (yes, alcohol was still a small motivator). Because the race finished in the area it began, I knew exactly where I was. As I picked up speed, my adrenaline increased ten-fold. With all my might, I was going to sprint across that finish line with my hands in the air, and I did just that. Official time: 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 3 seconds....not too shabby, if I say so myself. I can't lie to you, there was a lot of emotion that went into crossing the finish line.
As soon as I received my medal and finisher t-shirt, I naturally gravitated straight to the beer tent. When the attendant asked me, "One beer or two?" I didn't even stutter. Of course, I needed two. My friend and I enjoyed a Whataburger celebration meal and ended up sleeping the entire drive back to Houston. Oh, and my legs and feet were on fire. Seriously, on fire. At least my toe nails didn't fall off because that ain't cute.
The training and race, collectively, was an amazing experience, and I can't help be proud of myself. A lot of passion and emotion goes into something like this. There are several reasons why I did it, but the bottom line is that I did it for myself. Not many people can, or ever will, say they've accomplished something like this. Now, I'm looking forward to running a full marathon in 2011. I guess you could say I've caught the "running bug".
All I know is, my body is gonna be lookin' tight with all this running. That is what's really important, right? Just kidding. Well, sort of.
This is such a wonderful photography project. M. Sharkey has traveled the country photographing and interviewing queer teens living their lives like normal human beings; its just beautiful. Its beautiful to see LGBTQ youth with such vibrancy, fervor, and passion. To all you ignorant bullies out there: this is a war you are going to lose. This is proof.
2010,
gay,
m. sharkey,
queer,
youth
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It's seven o'clock, on the dot, I'm in my drop top cruisin' the streets....The words of a true poetic genius, right? Okay, that might be somewhat of an exaggeration. Scratch that, it is quite the overstatement.
Usher is in the midst of his 2010 North American "OMG! Tour" and made his way to Houston this week. With my good friend in tow, I weaved through the typical downtown traffic on my way to Toyota Center with no real expectations for the show. Honestly, I just wanted to drink. I'm not an avid fan of arena/stadium concerts. I don't want to pay $100.oo for an artist I kinda/sorta want to see, but even more, I cringe when I have to spend $9.00 for a beer. I can get almost four Four Lokos for that price (that's 16 Lokos total). Anyways, Usher's latest album, Raymond vs Raymond, has been blowing up radio stations across the country. Singles such as "DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again", "Hot Toddie", "There Goes My Baby", etc. have become the new music plague. After being beat in the head by these songs, I couldn't help but start to find them entertaining. You can judge all you want, but his songs are catchy as hell. C'mon, its U-S, H-E-R, R-A-Y-M, O-N-D.
As soon as we nestled into our fifth row seats, the house lights faded to black. We missed the opener, Trey Songz. The show itself was very atypical for a pop arena show: pyrotechnics, massive projection screens, random props, backup dancers, risers, and a live band. My preconception for the performance was that he was going to lipsync almost the entire time, but to my surprise, that wasn't the case. He physically sang for a decent amount of time. That took place in between the several instances where he either ripped his shirt off, thrusted his crotch into the air, or simulated vaginal/oral penetration.
His set lasted about an hour and a half and was filled with many new songs but also a good amount of oldies. Nonetheless, I sang 95% of the lyrics and nearly lost my voice. I can't lie to you; I felt a tad ashamed telling friends that my voice was raspy for THAT reason, but then again, I really wasn't. I'm known to be quite shameless.
Biggest complaint: They stopped serving alcohol an hour before the end of the show. That was dumb. Really dumb.
All-in-all, the concert was high in entertainment value, but quantity definitely beat out quality.
For more pictures like the one featured, check out this link right hurr.
The season has begun; a time when gays unite, wave their vibrant rainbow flags, show their true colors, adorn themselves with glitter and risque/fabulous outfits, and gather for a party-filled weekend. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about Gay P R I D E. This year, I was fortunate enough to attend both Pride Houston and Austin. Since I just happened to have that Friday and Saturday off from work, I decided to attend Austin's Pride. Having never been in town for it before, I was curious to see how the Live Music Capital handles such a vibrant culture. Although I've heard opinions here and there, I wanted to experience it for myself.
As the sun gently set behind a freshly built high-rise condominium (they make up the majority of Austin's skyline), my friend and I anxiously waited for the parade to make its way to the intersection of Fourth and Colorado. Because this was her first Pride parade, my friend had plenty of expectations. 9:00 pm; the grand marshals finally arrived.
Although the parade itself was a bit underwhelming, it was enjoyable for all who attended, and the support for our community in Austin seemed stronger than ever. No, I was not showered with condoms, lube, and beads. No, there weren't enormous floats covered in shirtless men being pulled by big rigs. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the parade. Afterward, we made our way to Kiss and Fly, and the one dollar wells made everything even more alright (and so did the groups of beautiful men).
This past weekend was Pride Houston. An estimated 150,000 attendees made it out for the festivities. That number is almost unreal. Being the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston doesn't receive the attention it deserves for the diversity that exists in this metroplex. Texas might be one of the most blood red states in the country, but it is still one of the biggest. Apparently, Houston is become a destination city for the LGBT community. Surprise, surprise! As far as parades are concerned, Houston's was on a much larger scale than Austin's. Plus, open containers are allowed which allows for even more enjoyable evening. In my case, it was excessively enjoyable.As many of you may know, the gay community is starting to form opposing opinions on the concept of "Gay Pride". Pride weekend is as stereotypical as it gets when it comes to our community, and I will absolutely agree. No, we aren't shirtless everywhere we go, we don't wear body glitter, and we don't flaunt our rainbow clothing daily. The fact that corporations support these festivities brings about tension as well. In addition to supporting their LGBT employees, companies are trying to gain more customers. It is a fact. With all the being said, Pride events still prove how much support there is for our community and our desire to live normal lives within such a constrictive society. Personally, I don't let such things define me as a person. Sexuality is only small part of a person's being. Also, be honest...stereotypes have to come from somewhere. In my opinion, I may not appreciate the all of the visuals used to celebrate Pride, but it is still a celebration worthy of your attention.
